Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Soups are not just for soul, it’s for mind and body. According to me soups not just cleanses the tummy, it also relaxes the mind and makes you feel fresh and rejuvenated.

It’s been a grey old crappy day today. It gets dark all of a sudden and then suddenly sun pops out for few minutes. Just started raining in here. That is excellent for one reason at least – the perfect evening to enjoy a bowl of hot spicy soup!

This soup is rich and satisfying, with a bit of sparky life from the spices added to it! Fragrant with cumin, garlic, ginger, chili and a hint of garam masala, it is a fabulously healthy winter treat.

This is the Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe I have EVER tasted. I’m not a huge squash fan, but I literally licked my bowl clean. I think the spices added to the soup really hits the spot! Definitely save this recipe for later, you’ll love it!!

I used every part of the vegetable. The seeds were cleaned and roasted. The squash were cooked with skin on. The soup is creamy and light. There is no butter or cream added to the soup. The creamy texture is from the milk used to cook the squash.

I added some toasted bread pieces. The crisp bread bits blended right into the soup! If you want non-vegetarian toppings you can add some crisp bacon pieces. I would also love to experiment with crisp chicken ham pieces next time as I do not eat bacon.

This is a easy soup recipe, which can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. For cold winter nights, make a big bowl of this soup and enjoy it. The reason I love this soup is it’s bursting with savory goodness.

Here’s curried butternut squash recipe-

Ingredients:-
Serving – 2

Butternut squash – 1
Onions – 1 medium
Ginger – 3-4 cloves
Garlic – 1 inch piece
Red chili powder – 2 tspn)adjust as per spice preference)
Coriander powder – 1 tspn
Cumin powder – ½ tspn
Garam masala powder – ½ tspn
Salt to taste
Milk – 1 cup
Water – ¼-1/2 cup(adjust)
Olive oil – 1 ½ tspn

For topping-
Olive oil – few drops
Roasted crisp bread pieces – few
Roasted squash seeds – few
Crushed pepper powder
Very finely chopped coriander leaves – few

Instructions:-

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add thin sliced onions and fry till they turn translucent.

2. Add crushed garlic cloves and ginger and saute till raw smell is gone.

3. Add the spice powders along with salt and give it a mix.

4. Now add roughly chopped butternut squash pieces and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.

5. Add milk and cook. Add water if you prefer to have very thin consistency soup. I did not add water. Cook on low flame until the squash is cooked and is soft. Turn off flame and let it cool down.

6. Add the cooked squash into a blender and puree until it turns smooth. Check for seasoning.

7. Just before serving pour the soup into a pan, heat it up and serve it in a bowl hot.

8. Add the topping and serve hot. Best way to spend the grey gloomy days are with a big bowl of hot squash soup sitting on your favorite couch and watching your favorite telly shows. 😀

My Notes-
1. To make this soup more nutritious add 1 or 2 carrots along with squash and cook it.
2. I made a guilt free low fat soup. If you don’t mind the calories add fresh cream on top along with deep fried bacons.
3. You can even roast the squash in oven instead of cooking over flame. Check here for the roasted pumpkin soup recipe for the procedure.