Curried Squash Soup
Fall is just around the corner and in Katie’s world that means squash. All the squash. This curry-scented soup is rich and creamy, but can also be easily adapted into a vegan version. We like to pair this soup with a fontina grilled cheese sandwich. Soup’s up (you know, surf’s up, but with soup).
Ingredients
1 (3 lb.) butternut squash
1 (2 lb.) acorn squash
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable stock (such as Kitchen Basics Unsalted Vegetable Stock)
3/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Crème fraîche (optional)
Immersion blender or blender
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Carefully cut each squash in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Place the squash cut side down into a 9” x 13” pan (you may need two pans). Add about a quarter inch of water to the pan and slightly lift the squash to allow the water to pass underneath. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven under the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes.
When there are about 15 minutes left on the bake time, start working on the rest of the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, molasses, curry powder, salt, and cayenne. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Once the squash is tender, remove the squash to a cutting board. Spoon out the cooked squash and add to the mixture in dutch oven. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth. If you’re using a standing blender, carefully puree the soup in batches and add back into the dutch oven. If you’re making a vegan version, stop here and check the seasoning. Adjust if needed and serve. Otherwise, continue on.
Over low heat, stir in the heavy cream and pieces of butter. Stir in about 3 tablespoons of the fresh thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve in bowls and garnish with a bit of fresh thyme and a dollop of crème fraîche (turn the crème fraîche into a quenelle, if you’re feeling fancy).
Notes
This soup also works great as an appetizer for a party or holiday meal. Serve from a slow cooker set to warm, ladling the soup into small mugs. Place some fresh thyme in a small pinch bowl and a small bowl of crème fraîche next to the slow cooker to allow guests to garnish their soup.
