Winter Squash Soup is a winner! I made this soup on a cold winter night, and it was the right meal for all the right reasons. I have lots of soup recipes featuring butternut squash, but this one managed to deliver a unique flavor that I adored.
Keeping in line with the previous two soups from this series, Winter Squash Soup could not have been any easier. I am loving how quickly these recipes come together, and it makes me want to cook them again because I know I can fold them into our busy weeknight schedule.
I appreciate Deb’s desire to keep our squash options open, assuming we are familiar with lots of delicious winter squash types that could work equally well here. However, in reality, I am not sure I would know a different option other than butternut squash, and as such, that is what I used.
The flavor of this soup is heady, aromatic, and complex. Lots of sweet onion, garlic, and ginger give it heat without spice. You can feel the heat in your bones, but it’s not spicy, if that makes sense. I used pre-cubed butternut squash from the grocery store, and discovered I did not have vegetable stock, so I used chicken stock instead.
I also goofed when I realized the sizzled red onion topping, which called for dried coconut flakes, probably was not referring to the sweetened flaked coconut I had on hand. I decided to use it anyways, not wanting to miss the opportunity for a yummy topping, and while it worked, I can see how it would work better with true flakes of dried coconut that are unsweetened. Oh well. Notes for next time.
The lime juice at the end is non-negotiable. I went heavy-handed with the lime juice, and the bright acidity massively enhanced the rich, heated flavors. My kids loved this soup, and we had only one serving leftover for lunch the next day (which my daughter took to school in a thermos, that’s how much they loved it!).
As I was cooking the soup, I realized that this soup is gluten and dairy free, but has the mouthfeel of a creamy soup, thanks to the coconut milk. Again, such a great feeling to serve a vegetable-based dinner to my family that came together with ease and delivered big flavor. I will definitely be making this again!
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