Living in a studio apartment means that all of the smells of my kitchen find their way onto my linens and clothing. So if I’m going to commit to cooking anything with curry, it had better be worth it. Let me preface this recipe by saying that even if the candles and open windows hadn’t eliminated the smells (they did) I would still make it again and again. It’s that tasty.
Even better, this recipe embodies the best parts of winter. From November to December, we have holidays and festivities to look forward to, the cold weather is just a new twist for our wardrobes, and a butternut squash soup on the menu is still a treat (three months from now it will taunt me as I yearn for spring vegetables and summer fish tacos). With a kick of curry and sweetness from the yams, it makes for a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas soup.
This recipe made four servings.
Ingredients:
1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
2 medium yams, peeled
1 small yellow onion
1 jalapeno, de-stemmed with seeds removed (leaving the seeds in will add tons of spice)
1 cup of vegetable broth
3/4 cup of canned coconut milk
1/2 tsp of curry powder
Water, olive oil
Directions:
Cube the squash and the yams into 1 inch pieces.
Chop up the onion and jalapeno into chunks. Add a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a big pot over medium heat. Add in the jalapeno and onion and saute, covered, on low heat for roughly 10 minutes.
Add in the cubed yam and squash, then top with a cup of vegetable broth and 1/2 a cup of water. Mix thoroughly and simmer on medium heat, mixing every few minutes. The liquid won’t cover all of the veggies, so it’s good to mix them often to make sure they absorb the broth. After about 20 minutes, when the cubes begin to soften, add in 1/2 a tsp of curry powder and stir. Continue stewing the veggies for a total of 35-40 minutes, or until they are easily pierced by a fork.
Remove from heat and pour in 3/4 cup of coconut milk.
Stir until fully incorporated. Using a blender, fully blend the soup in batches until silky smooth – the consistency of thin mashed potatoes.
Serve hot with a touch of coconut milk or olive oil on top.
