ButterNut Squash Soup
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- 2 Lbs. Butternut Squash
- 1 Large Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Large Carrots
- 3 Fresh Lemongrass Stalks (Asian Market)
- 3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil (2 works, to save fat)
- 2 tsp. Thai Red Curry Paste (Less if you are not a spicy fan)
- 1 1/4 Cups Coconut Milk
- 2 Quarts Chicken Stock (Or Vegetable Stock)
- 3 Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves (Asian Market)
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, Packed
- 1/3 Cup Asian Fish Sauce (Option - Use salt to season)
- 1 Lb. Crab Meat
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro, Packed
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice
- Pick through crab meat to check for shells.
- Finely chop 1/2 cup cilantro and stir into crab meat with lime juice.
- Set aside in refrigerator to use as garnish.
- Peel squash, discard any stringy pulp, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Coarsely chop separately, onion, garlic, carrots (small pieces), and cilantro.
- Discard outer leaves of lemon grass. Trim root ends off and finely chop enough of the lower 6 inches of stalks to measure 1/3 of a cup.
- In a heavy pot heat the oil over moderate heat.
- Cook onions, garlic, lemongrass, and curry paste until onion is softened.
- Add squash and carrots and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes more.
- Add coconut milk, stock, and lime leaves and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. (With large dice carrots that took about 45 minutes in the second test. You may need to raise the heat to get it simmering sooner.)
- Cool soup slightly.
- Puree soup in batches. For a smoother texture you can also strain the soup through a very fine strainer.
- Chop cilantro and add at this point.
- Stir in fish sauce, season with pepper, and cool completely. (If you are not a fish sauce person you can season with salt at this point.) (Will keep longer than two days if you add the fish sauce as you are ready to serve it.)
- Will keep for two days. (Longer if not adding fish sauce right away.)
- Ladle soup into bowls and mound crabmeat in the center, garnish with sprigs of cilantro.