Saturday, January 2, 2016

Slow Cooker Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash is typically associated with fall but its season is fall to winter when evenings are getting cooler and the amount of sunlight begins to noticeably wane.

This is a super easy yet slightly exotic soup and it is the perfect accompaniment to the changing weather. It would be a great weeknight treat. It's also a good soup to have by the mugful on a chilly weekend while you're reading a book.

I ran into this recipe while continuing my search for ways to use the slow cooker. Karen Raye's Kitchen Treaty food blog is a nice one and is worth exploring. I've added it to my list on the right.

Her Thai Curry Butternut Squash soup is great because there are only five ingredients. The one thing you have to be careful about is the Thai Curry paste. It packs a punch. If you don't like spicy then start with 1 teaspoon. I did two teaspoons and I thought it was good but my spouse thought it was too spicy. You will need to find your comfort zone and/or the comfort zone of those you will serve this to. You can find the paste in many supermarkets these days. If not, you can order it through Amazon.


Thai Butternut Squash Soup


Ingredients:

  • Butternut squash - 1 medium to large
  • Yellow onion - peeled and chopped
  • Broth - 4 cups
  • Thai Red Curry paste - 1 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
  • Coconut milk - 1 14 oz. can (not light)
Directions:

The night before:
  • Peel, seed, and dice the butternut squash
  • Peel and chop onion
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

The morning of:
  • Add squash, onions, and broth to your slow cooker
  • Cook on low for 8-10 hours
That evening:
  • Turn off the slow cooker and remove the lid to lower the temperature
  • When cooler, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth
  • Stir in the coconut milk
  • Stir in the red curry paste
Let the flavors marry. Taste to see if you want to add more curry paste or salt. You can garnish with some roasted pepitas or pine nuts. A sprig of parsley or cilantro can also be added.

Note: One of the questions that came to mind as I was making this is whether or not I could freeze it since it has coconut milk in it. The answer I found online is that it's perfectly acceptable to freeze it.