Butternut Coconut Soup

I’ve discovered that our family of four can’t eat a whole butternut squash as a side dish in one setting, so this is a creative way to serve the leftovers up the next night.

This is how I prepare the butternut squash the first night: I cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and rub olive oil over the inside of both halves. Then I place them cut side down on a baking sheet and bake them at 350˚ for about an hour and a half. Once it’s tender, I scoop the squash out of the skin and serve it with as a side dish. The next day, I’ll use the leftovers in this easy soup.

Butternut Coconut Soup

You’ll need between 2-3 cups of butternut squash puree. Simply place the leftovers in the blender, add one cup of water, and blend on high until they’re smooth.

Next, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and add:

1 shallot (or 1/4 an onion), cut into chunks
1 jalapeño, cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, cut into chunks
½ tsp. cumin seeds
Sauté until the shallots, jalapeño and garlic are tender

In a large blender jar, add

1 c. water
½ c. cashews
The sautéed ingredients
Blend on high speed until creamy.

In a 4 quart sauce pan, add the butternut squash puree, the cream base and:
2 cups of water
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Cook on LOW heat for about 30 minutes—keep it covered and stir every five to ten minutes. It’s a very thick soup, and may erupt like Vesuvius! Add more water if you prefer to have a thinner soup.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.