My dear client loves her soup. She is quite fond of carrot and ginger but is always game for variations on a theme. In this case the theme is orange :)! Well, really it’s the beta carotene we are after. I spied some little organic butternut squashes at Berkeley Bowl the other day. That along with a recent visit to the Berkeley Thai Temple for some cheap eats inspired this soup:
Thai Squash and Coconut Soup
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 1/4 – 1/2 pound butternut squash
1 tablespoon coconut oil — or vegetable oil
1 small carrot — thinly sliced (no need to peel – lots of vitamins in that skin)
1/2 medium onion — thinly sliced
1/2 stalk celery — thinly sliced
1 medium jalapeno chile pepper — thinly sliced
2 inch lemon grass — smashed
2 slices ginger — minced very fine
1 clove garlic — smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt (Try Redmond)
1/2 cup coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen Organic)
2 cups water or vegetable stock — more if needed
1 tablespoon lime juice
Cut butternut squash in half, put in baking dish cut side down with about a 1/2 c water. Bake at 350F until soft – about 30 – 40 minutes. Cool and scoop out squash from shell.
Heat oil in a 6 quart pot. Over medium heat, saute carrot, onion, celery, jalapeno, lemon grass, ginger and garlic with sea salt until soft – about 15 minutes. Add coconut milk, water, lime juice and squash. Simmer another 20-30 minutes, stir every so often to make sure the squash doesn’t stick to bottom of the pot.
Blend soup until smooth and creamy. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or if you can’t do this be sure to remove the lemon grass before blending, otherwise you will be picking the fibers out of your teeth. Season to taste with salt and more lime juice as needed. This soup can be served hot or cold. A nice garnish would be pumpkin seeds toasted in a little coconut oil with chopped garlic and parsley or a simple sprig of cilantro will do as well.
Bonus: A little gardening tip today. To grow your own lemon grass, take a few stalks (choose ones that have not had their bottoms trimmed too far up) and cut off the tops so you have about 6-8″. Put this in a jar of water and in a about 1-2 weeks you will see roots. Plant in a large pot (these guys will spread and spread so I like the control of a pot) and water often. Soon the stalks will start multiplying. Set out in a sunny spot. In a few months you will have a nice supply. Be aware that the leaves are sharp as razors and will give you paper cut like slices – ouch! So wear some gloves.
The next garden related post will be an update on the…yes…no…yes…oh, no…the gooseberries …they’re back…
