Thai Butternut Squash Soup

People really seem to love their orange vegetables with sugar added.  Sweet potatoes with marshmallows, carrots with honey, banana or butternut squash with brown sugar.  I don't know if it's just me, but I actually prefer my orange veggies to be savory.  I've tried several butternut squash soup recipes and they are always too sweet for my taste.  This soup, on the other hand, was refreshingly savory.  The kick of heat from the curry paste is a great departure from the usual syrupy sweetness of other soups and the subtle coconut flavor is a great touch.  And a side bonus, if you're into this sort of thing--replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and you've got a vegetarian/vegan soup on your hands.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 55 minutes

• 18 oz peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp red curry paste (if you're concerned about the spiciness start with less and add more to taste)
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
• chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss squash with olive oil and kosher salt.  Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 35 minutes, until tender.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until it just begins to brown.  Add the broth, roasted squash, and curry paste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and lime juice, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  Stir in the shredded coconut and serve garnished with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Source: adapted from Everyday Reading
Produce Used: Butternut squash, onion, lime, coconut, cilantro