Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Thai Curry and Coconut

• 1 medium to large butternut squash
• ~ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or roasted
• 1 teaspoon ginger, preferably freshly grated
• 2 Tablespoons (or to taste) Thai red curry paste
• 2 cups chicken bone broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (15 oz) can of full fat (not “light”) coconut milk
• 2-3 portobella mushroom caps, cubed and roasted
• Sriracha sauce, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Juice from 1 lime
• Basil and/or cilantro, preferably freshly chopped (about 1/3 cup) for garnish
• Green onions, about ½ cup, for garnish
• Peanuts or cashews, about 1/3 cup, chopped for garnish

1. Wash squash, place in a roasting pan, and make slits in the skin all around it. Rub on the olive oil, and roast at 400 degrees for about an hour. The skin on the squash should be turning brown, the slits bubbling, and the squash softened so that it is flat on the pan.
2. Take 2 or 3 (or more if you like garlic) unpeeled garlic cloves and place on a small sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil over them, and wrap the aluminum foil up like a packet. Put in the oven with the squash, for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, and pop out the garlic cloves.
3. Mushrooms can be roasted any time in the previous week. The cubed mushroom chunks just need to be tossed in olive and spices such as garlic or Thai curry spices. Roast for 15-20 minute at 350 degrees.
4. When the squash is done, let cool until it not too hot to peel the skin off. I find making slits in the skin all around the squash to divide the skin into sections makes it easier to peel. Scoop the peeled squash into a soup pot. The seeds in the squash are all at the bottom and easy to scoop out when you get there.
5. Add the broth and garlic cloves, and using an immersion blender, blend until pretty smooth. I bought an immersion blender specifically for this recipe and have not looked back since! If you don’t have or want one, you can blend it in batches with a regular mixer/food processer. If you don’t have one of the those, the roasted squash is soft enough you could probably use a potato masher.
6. Add the ginger and curry paste and simmer. Once well-heated, add the coconut milk and mix well. Taste to check that the level of spice is to your preference, and add sriracha if desired.
7. Prepare the green onions, cilantro, and nuts for garnish
8. Just before serving, add the lime juice
9. Spoon the soup into bowls, and if you have any coconut milk left, pour a little in and swirl around and add garnishes.

This should make about 4-6 medium servings.

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