Don’t let the word roasted scare you away from trying this delicious soup. Restaurants often offer roasted vegetables as a side dish which then leads one to believe that the process of roasting must indeed be reserved only for chefs. Truth is, roasting just means cooking at a relatively high temperature with the vegetable often cloaked in some sort of oil. Roasting a vegetable brings out its natural sugars, making the unique flavors of a vegetable like squash shine like the star it is. Add a little curry powder and you’ve made a restaurant quality soup that seems indulgent, but is low in fat* and calories, high in fiber, and chock full of vitamins like potassium, Vitamin A and C, manganese and magnesium.
Roasted Thai Butternut Squash Soup
2 tablespoons expeller pressed coconut oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large dice (about 2”x2”)
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into eights
1 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
3 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk* (click here for my absolute favorite brand of organic coconut milk)
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F.
Add diced squash and onion pieces to a large bowl. Drizzle oil over vegetables. Sprinkle curry powder over oil and vegetables and toss to coat. Spread vegetables onto a large roasting pan (a rimmed cookie sheet works fine). Bake for 25 minutes, until vegetables are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Place roasted vegetables, ginger, broth, and coconut cream/milk in a 4 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a low boil.
Reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Using an immersion/stick blender, puree soup. Or, blend small batches in a blender/Vitamix or food processor.
Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
*Using “light” coconut milk is fine, but remember fat keeps you full and helps you absorb those fat soluble vitamins. I highly recommend full fat coconut milk.