Butternut Squash Soup

The weather has FINALLY caught up to the season!  it’s jeans with a chance of a hoodie while enjoying soup season!  This butternut squash soup recipe is SUPER EASY, VERSATILE, FREEZABLE, and VEGAN!

OK!  Lets get started on the ingredients:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 white onion, chopped

2″ fresh ginger, peeled and sliced in medallions.*

1″ fresh tumric, peeled and sliced into medallions

2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

2 quarts (boxes) vegetable stock – low sodium

4 cans UNSWEETENED coconut milk

OPTIONAL:

4 tablespoon red Korean chili flakes or cayenne pepper

*slicing ginger long ways, with the grain, will give it a stringy consistently even after it goes through the bender.  slicing it into medallions will prevent this!

Step 1

Using a preheated, large stock pot, melt butter and add the onions.  Cook on medium high (6 out of 10) until the onions become transparent.  This takes around 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add the ginger and tumric and cook down for a few minutes

Step 3

Add in the butternut squash and stir.  This is the point to add in the Korean chili flakes or cayenne pepper.  Few options: you can omit this if you do not like heat.  The chili will not overwhelm the soup, it just makes it warm.

For a diffrent flavor, add curry powder instead of chili.

Step 4

Add in the 2 quarts of vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

Step 5

• Add in the coconut milk, stir and bring to a boil.
•  Once its reached a boil, turn down to a simmer.
• Let simmer until the squash is begins to fall apart (about an hour)
• When the squash begins to fall apart, remove from heat.

Step 7 – BLENDING & STRAINING

• scoop the soup into a blender cup filling it a little more than half way and making sure its park liquid and solid.
• cover the blender lid with a towel when turning on and off to prevent the lid popping off from the heat.  
• blend on high until a puree forms.  this may take longer depending on quality of blender.
• pour puree though a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl, additional stock pot or whatever can hold the quantity of soup.  the mesh strainer will catch any stringiness that is left over creating a velvety smooth soup.
• return the soup to a low heat and taste for seasoning.  stir int he proper seasonings (salt, additional chili flake)

SERVING & STORING

This soup freezes beautifully!  I like to store it in the the quart containers we use in the professional kitchens.  You can get them at a GFS store or by ordering soup from a takeout place!  Make sure the soup is properly cooled (below 41 degrees), labeled and dated.