1tablespoonred curry pasteadjust to taste - I use Thai Kitchen brand which is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan!
1cancoconut milk 14.5 oz, you can use light or regular versions
¼cupvegetable brothyou can substitute with water in a pinch
1teaspoonsaltadjust to taste
1teaspoonblack pepperadjust to taste
Optional Garnishes
½teaspoonbasil or fresh herbschopped
5scallionschopped (for the crunch!)
1teaspoonlime juicedrizzle on top for acid
1teaspooncoconut milk or creamdrizzle on top for creaminess
Instructions
Roast the butternut squash
Preheat the oven to 400F. Put a damp towel underneath the butternut squash to hold it in place and slice off the stem end. Now, cut down vertically in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds until the flesh is clean (but don't discard them!)
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Drizzle olive oil on the fleshy side of the butternut squash - then add salt and pepper evenly to the surface. Place the flesh side down on the sheet pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool down (roughly 5 minutes) - handle carefully, it'll be super hotNote: Cook time for squash will vary mainly based on the size. You want the flesh to be tender when you're done. Roast a few extra minutes if it's not soft and tender.
This is an optional step, but makes for a great garnish. Clean excess pulp from the squash seeds. Turn down the oven to 350 - add them to the baking sheet with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Toast for roughly 20 minutes (you'll know when it's done when you hear it pop). Turn off the oven and wait two minutes to take it out - set aside as garnish (zero waste!)
Prepare the Soup
While the squash cools, heat vegetable oil in a Dutch Oven or pot that is large enough to hold the squash on medium flame. Add minced garlic and ginger paste and cook until it's fragrant (roughly 30 seconds).
If you are using a blender: Scoop out the flesh of the squash into this pot, along with coconut milk, red curry paste, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring this to a boil. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, filling no more than half the blender. Remove the steam vent for the blender, cover with a towel and hold it in place as you blend. Depending on the size of your blender, you might need to do this in batches. Alternative: Once the flesh of the squash is cooled down, you can add it straight to the blender, along with the coconut milk, red curry paste and broth. First blend it, then transfer to a pot and bring to a boil to finish the soup. If using an immersion blender: once the soup is boiling, turn off the stove and puree it in the Dutch Oven itself. If you don't have a blender: Once the squash has cooled down, add it to a Dutch oven, along with red curry paste, broth, salt and pepper. Bring this to a boil. Then, use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash the squash into the soup. This will be a chunkier soup, but still just as delicious!
Garnish with the toasted squash seeds, a squeeze of lime and some basil or coconut cream (optional) to serve. You can also use toasted peanuts, chives, and vegan sour cream.
Notes
If the skin of the butternut squash browns during roasting, that's totally fine - if anything, it adds more flavor - so don't shy away from it. Likewise, squash seeds are delicious and yet thrown away often - try it out and let me know how it goes!
Red curry paste might sometimes contain shrimp, so please make sure to check that the brand you buy is vegan!
Coconut cream tends to leave the soup too much like a puree - so I prefer to use coconut milk. Light coconut milk also is also slightly healthier
If you're using a regular blender, it is absolutely vital to do two things - first, you need to cool the soup so it's not boiling (about 5 to 7 minutes does the trick) and then you need to make sure you don't fill it more than halfway through. This is because hot liquids are thinner than colder liquids, so they might vortex higher as your blender spins. This is what leads to blender explosions with half the soup on your ceiling. So, make sure to open the steam vent at the very least (or the full blender lid) and use a towel and your hand to hold the blender (this way even if there's steam, the towel will absorb it).