A Cold Weather Treat : Coconut Thai Curry Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash

Whew. It's been a while. I simply hate when this happens. I love blogging, and I regret when I'm unable to keep up with it. I've been swept into a whirlwind of holiday fever full of decorating trees, seeing old friends, long dinners, and of course, finals week. Oh yes, finals week. But here I am, back in full force and here to share a decidedly un-holiday recipe with you; roasted butternut squash soup - littered with ingredients like coconut milk and red thai curry. A true twist on one of my favorite fall soups.

Not long ago I was an avid squash hater. Couldn't stand the stuff. Nowadays, it's on my menu at least once a week. Sweet, easily salted and savory, a perfect side dish or entree shining star. In this case it's paired with your usual soup suspects, good stock, some onion and garlic, but a few unusual ones as well, a bit of thai red curry, fatty coconut milk, lemongrass, and a sprinkle of green chile. I really enjoyed this soup, the kind of dinner that warms your insides on a cold winter night. Sweet, salty, spicy, and creamy. Delightful. Period.

Coconut Curry Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash 

Ingredients: 

1 medium to large butternut squash - cleaned, chopped and roasted

1 large white onion

6 cloves of garlic

1 small spicy green chile - minced

1 large stalk of lemon grass split in two

5 cups of good vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 can full fat coconut milk (full fat people)

2 teaspoons thai red chili powder/paste (you  may want more, so-to taste)

Directions: 

1. First, roast your squash (little olive oil, slat and pepper in the oven on 400 for 40 minutes). Also, pour your stock into a medium saucepan on low heat, place lemon grass in the stock, cover and allow to steep. 

2. Meanwhile, in a soup or other large pot heat a bit of vegetable or olive oil, saute onions, chile and garlic. After 10 minutes, when onions are translucent add thai red curry and stir until well combined. 

3. Strain lemongrass from stock, pour stock into soup pot with onions.

4. Next, add roasted butternut squash and puree (I use a hand blender). 

5. Finally, pour in the coconut milk, season with salt and pepper, and stir. 

6. Pour into a large bowl, garnish with plenty of cilantro and devour!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

This rarely ever happens, I'm sharing with you what I had for dinner. . . tonight. Yes, only a few hours ago. I think I've done this maybe twice in my three years of blogging. I don't want to say this soup was so insanely delicious I just couldn't help myself, only because you may not agree, it may not be your cup of tea, er, bowl of soup. Because as far as soup is concerned it's more on the exotic end of the scale than the safe. It's not your garden variety chicken noodle or cream of spinach. It's sweet, smoky, salty, and rich. Exactly what I was after this evening (clearly, because here I sit writing about it)!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The base consists of a bit of tomato juice, lots of broth, peanut butter, and loads of salty oven roasted sweet potato. There's a bit of spicy green chile, garlic, and some sauteed onion as well. It really doesn't get much simpler either. The most taxing part, if you could even consider it to be taxing, is peeling and roasting the sweet potato. I started this soup around 7:30 and was sitting down to eat just before 8:00. You may not like it in the end, but come on, with an eet (estimated eating time) of less than half an hour, how can you not give it a try? Rachel Ray would be proud (if I cared). Plus, (yes there's more) it's incredibly healthy! In a cup and a half there are less than 300 calories and about 8 grams of protein. Lordy! There's a foodie trinity! Simple, tasty and good for you! Top it all off with a few salty roasted peanuts and plenty of freshly chopped cilantro. Cilantro makes this soup, I can't really explain it, but it's key, trust me on this. And if you do decide to try this recipe, let me know what you think. I'm really curious if others will think it's as delish as the boyfriend and I thought it was.

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque

(adapted from Eating Well)

Ingredients:

Two VERY large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt, pepper

2 small white onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

4 oz. can spicy green chile (or mild if you're not up for the heat)

1 cup tomato juice (V8)

3 cups of chicken broth (I'll admit I use water and bouillon, I like it, shoot me)

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

s&p to taste (I didn't use any, the salty V8 and bouillon did it for me in the seasoning dept.)

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400 F

1. Throw (or place gently) your sweet potato cubes on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put sheet in the oven and cook until fork tender and mashable. Mash your potatoes when they're finished. About 20 minutes.

2. On medium heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy bottom saucepan, then add your onion and garlic. Saute 5 minutes.

3. Add your chiles, then tomato juice, and broth. Heat to a boil.

4. Add peanut butter and mashed roasted squash.

5. Remove from heat temporarily and puree with a hand blender, or, place in food processor/blender (be careful when blending hot liquids, it tends to pop the top off of blenders, use a towel to cover) until smooth.

6. Place back on burner and heat thoroughly.

7. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

Now eat it up!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Swoon : Spinach Soup

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

This is yet another recipe from Elise's Simply Recipes. First let me apologize, I feel like I've only been offering you samples of others recipes and blogs. I promise I've got some original recipes of my own on the horizon. My saving grace is that I haven't really done much of this, that is, simply regurgitating others brilliance. Problem is, there are so, so, so many outstanding recipes and food sites our there that it's hard not to share them with you once and a while. Clearly I'm a follower. If I like something, I go back, time and time again, if I trust a source, I use it religiously. Simply Recipes is one of those sources for me. Thus the second post about one of Elise's recipes in a month or two. This time, you'll have to head on over there yourself to get the recipe. This is pretty much just a rave review.

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Years ago I was slightly obsessed with cream of spinach soup. I must've been about thirteen or fourteen. A dear friend requested a backyard tea party for her July birthday. Her mother obliged. So there we sat in the backyard, our feet swimming in the warm green grass, eating dainty bowls of her mothers famous cream of spinach soup, pillowy white crustless sandwiches filled with various ingredients, and an array of sweets. I will always remember that humid July day, there was something magical about it. From that point on, for about a year, I was obsessed. I asked her mother for the recipe and the rest is history. I made that soup so much during the cold months that year I'm surprised I didn't turn a pale shade of green. I still have that thin lined piece of paper in an old recipe book. I pull it out from time to time, whip up a batch of soup, and reminisce on the simplicity of life as a young thing. It was time to switch up though. Test the waters. See what else is out there. For the most part I've been fairly unimpressed with most other cream of spinach soups. They don't really compare. Elise's does. It's far creamier than my handed down recipe. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It too has potatoes. Potatoes in spinach soup are a must for me. They add body, thickness and texture to the soup. I've been loving this soup so much that I've made it twice in the last two weeks. It's fantastic on it's own, and even better the next day reheated for sandwich dipping (better than tomato soup, in my opinion). I think I might be in danger of turning green again. My new hand blender has made the whole process that much easier. Meaning, I can make it way more often, and much faster. For this last batch I had a leek hanging around my fridge that decided he wanted to be thrown in. I would highly suggest you think about doing the same. Leek, spinach, potato and cream is simply a match made in ingredient heaven. But, I'm a lover of all things onion-y, like leeks. In honor of that lovely birthday afternoon I shot the soup in one of my favorite teacups. If you're looking for a fun way to serve soup as a first course, even if you're not having a tea party, think tea cups. They're all so unique and gorgeous, it makes the experience of eating soup that much more special. We've still got a few cold months ahead of us, at least we do here in the Northwest. Now's the time to whip up a big pot of soup, and wait for the warmer weather to arrive.

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.