Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

This soup was inspired by the Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup over at 101 cookbooks. After perusing the internet for simple butternut squash soup recipes, I came across her recipe and loved the simplicity. Just a few ingredients, and not too much time laboring over the stove, waiting for  dinner to be done.

Inspired by her simple take on pumpkin soup, I searched through the pantry and used what I had on hand to come up with my version. The curry paste gives the soup a bit of a kick, but the butternut squash lends its natural sweetness to the soup, making it the perfect balance between sweet and spicy.

1 medium butternut squash – cubed

1 small onion – chopped

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1.5 tsp Thai curry paste

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)

1 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Melt the ghee and coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened – about ten minutes. When the onions are translucent, add the curry paste and stir to coat the onions. Let that cook together for about 1 minute. Add the butternut squash, and stir to combine with the onion and spices. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer until the squash is cooked through – about 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the  cubes.

When the squash is cooked through, puree in batches in the food processor, or use an immersion blender to puree the smooth until smooth. Add coconut milk,  and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and enjoy!

Notes: If you would like your soup spicier, you could add more curry paste. I went easy on the spice and will most likely add more next time. I love the heat!

If you don’t have ghee on hand, you could use regular butter.

Also, If you would like your soup thicker, you can use a bigger butternut squash, or add less stock.