Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk
With autumn season in full swing, it is definitely time for all things squash. This soup is the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, slightly sour and creamy – exactly what you need to feel all warm and cosy after a long rainy day. With only a handful of ingredients, it is minimalistic and easy to whip up in under 30 minutes – perfect to have a bowl of it on hand after a long day at school or work.
Butternut squash (as well as other gourd vegetables) is chock-full of Vitamin A (providing over 354% of your daily recommended daily intake) and carotenoids. Both have extremely high anti-oxidant properties, which means that squash can literally help you stay younger and healthier. It is also low in calories and high in fibre. Try to eat as much of it as possible during the autumn season and I promise you your body will thank you!
For this recipe, I roast the butternut squash with other vegetables such as onions, garlic and carrots. I love the extra nuttiness that the roasted garlic gives to the soup. The butternut squash needs to be washed and simply cut in half (flesh scooped out) before putting it on the baking tray flesh side down. I baked the vegetables at 220 degrees Celcius/428 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. The butternut squash is ready when you can pierce it easily with a fork or knife. A lot of people don’t know this, but when baked the skin of the squash becomes really soft and very delicious. So if you’re buying organic squash, just give it a wash and when finished roasting you can blend the whole squash with the skin on.
The yellow curry powder adds really bold flavours to this otherwise mellow soup and the coconut milk gives the silkiest, creamiest consistency. A drizzle of lemon juice to cut through the sweetness and you’ve got yourself a bowl of perfectly warming, aromatic and delicious autumn soup.
- 1 large butternut squash, washed
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 whole head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 200 ml (half a can) of full-fat coconut milk
- 200 ml of water or stock
- salt and pepper
- chilli flakes
- full-fat coconut milk
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash the butternut squash. Cut it in half longitudinally and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place on parchment paper flesh side down.
- Cut the carrots into chunks and add them to the baking tray. Add the sliced onion and the garlic. Drizzle the vegetables with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Bake at 220 degrees Celcius/428 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. The baking time should be adjusted to the size of the squash. If you have a smaller squash bake it for a shorter time.
- When the butternut squash is ready (a fork will easily go through it) take it out of the oven and let the vegetables cool slightly. Peel the garlic skins. Add all the vegetables to the blender together with the coconut milk and blend until smooth.
- Put a large pot on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes until the curry powder releases its aroma. Add the butternut squash puree and about 200 ml of water (you can adjust the water content according to how thick you want your soup to be). Stir.
- Cook the soup on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the lemon juice. Stir.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add some coconut milk and chilli flakes on top.
