The only thing I love about winter is soup.
Winter is soup season, and I lean into this so hard that one might think my family has no teeth because we are perpetually eating mush. But, I don’t care. Soups are wonderful. They are warming and delicious, they make the house smell amazing, and a warm bowl of soup feels so cozy in your hands. Plus, soups offer a wonderful way to get rid of vegetable odds and ends, and to really pump up the nutrition in your meal. My creamy butternut squash soup is no exception.
Seriously. If I don’t add a hand torn bundle of kale to (almost) every soup I make, who even I am? Kale in soup is perfect. So is squash, whether you dump in a can of puree or tediously seed and peel a butternut squash. Either way, it’s a win. Kale adds texture and squash dissolves into almost nothing, making it perfect for stews, chilis, and even casseroles, like mac and cheese.
A friend accused me of ruining food when she discovered an unexpected vegetable in her food, but ignoring her complaint, one of my cooking goals is to use as many vegetables as possible in my dishes and to make the most delicious concoctions. Canned pumpkin, frozen chopped spinach, and boxes of chicken broth can be found in a lot of what I make. My family’s risk of scurvy is zero.
My creamy butternut squash soup with coconut milk and ginger satisfies both of these goals.
Ingredients:
- 1 Butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into cubes
- 1 Medium onion, minced
- 5 Cloves garlic, minced
- 6 Leaves fresh sage, minced
- 2 Inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 Can of coconut milk
- 1/2 Box of chicken broth
- Salt to taste
- Butter
- Oil
Honestly, I am a terrible person to write a recipe. This is because I never use recipes, avoid measuring like it’s dangerous, and enjoy tweaking recipes until they’re not even close to the original idea. But if you follow my rough suggestions, you should be able to create a really delicious creamy butternut squash soup.
Hopefully, you’ll also gain confidence about cooking too! Like everything else, cooking requires practice. Try this recipe, then see how you might like to tweak it. It’s delicious with green curry and potatoes, and it’s fun to substitute beer for the coconut milk and add cheddar cheese. Cooking can be a lot of fun. And, if you hate what you make, you can either repurpose it into something else, give it to a friend, or put it into the very back of the refrigerator to rot. Any one is fine.
So, the recipe as written makes enough for 2 people to eat for dinner. Or more. I have no idea. I can’t make a reasonable amount of anything, so I started off doubling the recipe.
I also want to point out that if you love your soup extra thick, add less chicken broth. If you like it thinner, add more. If it becomes too thin, you can try adding a cup of rinsed red or yellow lentils. Both of these varieties of lentils will dissolve into the rest of the soup and this addition will increase the amount of protein in your soup. Note that creamy butternut squash soup tends to naturally thicken over time. If you’re really into the flavor of coconut milk, add another can instead of the chicken broth.
This creamy butternut squash soup is flexible in a way I am not. Anyhow, you will want to follow the following steps, keeping in mind the options I listed above:
- Add a tablespoon of butter and one of oil into a soup pot. (You’re adding both because you want the flavor of butter and the burning temperature of oil.)
- Add your onions, ginger, and garlic.
- Sautee ’til translucent, maybe 5 minutes on medium.
- Add your squash and stir for a few more minutes.
- Add your coconut milk and chicken broth.
- (If you want to add lentils, now is a great time.)
- Simmer on low or medium low for 30 mins.
- Blend until smooth (I like an immersion blender because it’s easiest to wash, but you can use any blender.)
- Add salt to taste.
My creamy butternut squash soup is pretty easy to make, and very satisfying. It should take about an hour to make, start to finish. If you make it, please share your feedback!
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