Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is perfect when topped with a hot Thai chili oil.
Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup
Pureed soups and I have a long history. My husband still tells me that the only recipe I’ve ever made that he truly disliked (but still ate?) was an ill-fated beet soup that thankfully never saw the daylight of this blog. I’ve always tried to make them work but find them often weird or boring, or both. Now enter the Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup!
Those terms are SO far away from this velvety, beautiful butternut squash soup. It is the classic through and through but the addition of sautéed lemongrass, a good squeeze of lime juice, and, the kicker, Thai curry paste makes this average joe Thanksgiving starter its very own crave-able, cozy treat.
If you’re one to shy away from spicy food, just leave out the Thai oil.
The soup comes together quickly on its own and it is very filling! I’ve turned it into a complete meal with some meatballs and a slice of toasty, crunchy bread. I used Chef’s Choice Red Curry Paste, found at our local HMart. My personal favorite chili oil is the Laoganma brand.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok! Hashtag them #thehappyhaandi. And tag me @thehappyhaandi.
Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 1 Blender
- 1 Soup Pot
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 4 lbs Butternut Squash
- 1.5 cups 2% Milk Coconut Milk would be great here
- 2 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
- 2 stalks Fresh Lemongrass
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 Shallots, minced
- 5-6 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Lime juice
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- Salt
Toppings:
- Roasted Peanuts
- Chili Oil
- Fancy Bread Obviously
Instructions
For the Butternut Squash Soup:
- First we'll start by roasting the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While we wait for the oven to reach temperature - split the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and season the inside with salt, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder.
- Arrange the butternut squash, cut side down, on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
- While the butternut squash is in the oven, begin the soup base. In a large soup pot, add a little olive oil to the bottom and fry the garlic, lemongrass and shallot until everyone gets a little brown. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Next add the curry paste, stir to incorporate into the vegetables. Then go ahead and add the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a low simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lime juice.
- By now, the butternut squash should be about done. You'll know it's done if the squash breaks easily with a fork and feels generally soft. Peel the squash (the skin comes off easy but I found a peeler helps things along nicely) and add the squash to a blender along with the warm broth. Blend until smooth.
- Add the soup back into the pot. Add in the milk at this point. I like to add in half cup measures at a time to watch for the consistency I like. 1.5 cups of milk works well for our house but, if you'd like a thinner soup, a little more milk should help!
- Warm the soup in the pot until it comes to a nice simmer to meld everything together and serve! You're welcome to top up your soup with peanuts and chili oil and with warm bread on the side.
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