Early this week I got to video chat with all three of my London girls at the same time. It was delightful! And also far too rare. Still, a delight. However, they assure me they’re coming to visit in April. Now that I’ve post it here on the internet, it had better come true. Anyway, they got together to have a vegan feast, and while I can’t participate in person, I can in spirit. So, for my girls here is a recipe for vegan curried butternut squash soup.
Actually, this recipe is all about friends for me. I got this recipe from my friend Emily, who is the one who got me started cooking and experimenting with yummy vegetable dishes. And then at work my colleagues were talking about vegetarian dishes since my boss has recently decided to go off meat. They were even talking about curried butternut squash soup! All signs pointed to it being time for me to finally publish this recipe – a tiny way to recognize many of the lovely friends in my life. Hope this tasty recipe will be enjoyed by them – and hopefully by you and anyone you share it with.
Now I know you might be thinking, Mariel this is a vegan recipe. Is it really that good? Is it really going to be something I’ll want to eat? Let alone share with my friends?! I promise you it is. I sometimes have a nose crinkle at the word vegan, but this recipe is legit and doesn’t feel like going without.
In fact, this recipe is a good one for this time of year. It’s warm, a bit spicy, and not too heavy. Perfect for chilly winter evenings and next day lunches that brighten up your workday. Also, between Thanksgiving and Christmas it’s so easy to eat hearty foods and lots of sweets. Sometimes I need a break between all the cookies, mulled wine, and heavy roasts. This soup is it. It’ll make you feel cozy on a cold day. It’s a good way to eat some vegetables. It makes a lot. And if you need a bit of heft it’s great for dipping bread into it. I’m telling you, perfect winter meal to share with friends.
Adapted from All Recipes.
Messy level: If you have an immersion blender this is hardly messy at all! There’s very little prep and everything is poured into one pot. Fairly easy, and not too much clean up. It’s nearly easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
- 1, 2 pound butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus a little more for greasing
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup coconut milk, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons agave
- cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C
- Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Place the squash on a baking sheet, skin side down. Lightly brush the butternut squash flesh with some coconut oil. If desired, season with extra curry powder.
- Bake the squash in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender.
- When the squash is 30 minutes into baking, melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
- Using a spoon, scoop the baked squash flesh out of the skin and into the pot. Also add in the vegetable broth, curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut milk and agave.
- Using an immersion blender (or transfer soup to a blender), pulse until soup is smooth.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a little bit of extra coconut milk on top and sprinkle with cilantro leaves, if desired.
