Coconut Squash Soup

The tale of this coconut squash soup begins with a trip to the farmer’s market, where a New Zealand blue squash followed me home. The variety was new to me (and, apparently, to the cat) so I was curious to see what I could do with it. As it turns out, this variety cooks up nicely with a flavor between a butternut squash and a pumpkin.

Quarter the squash, scoop out the seeds (these can be saved and roasted later) and bake on a cookie sheet at 325F until fork tender. Peel off the skin and mash.  This should give you around 4 cups of cooked squash. If you have too much, it freezes well.

Fry until thoroughly cooked:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large diced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

Add:

1.5 tsp cumin

1.5 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook for two minutes and add:

Your squash

6 cups vegetarian broth (low salt is best–you can add salt if needed)

Optional: Fresh garden herbs, if available (I use chives, oregano, and thyme)

1 can (14-oz) of low-fat coconut milk

Simmer for about half an hour. At the very end, add the juice of 1 lime. Then puree thoroughly so there are no lumpy squash bits.

This coconut squash soup is a very attractive, colorful soup, and makes a great centerpiece of a light meal.