I love this time of year with all the gorgeous Autumnal colours and my Butternut Squash, Turmeric and Coconut soup doesn’t disappoint. Not only is it totally autumnal in colour, it is seasonal and packed with goodness from the veg and the medicinal Turmeric. As you’ll see, even my napkins have gone all rusty coloured in honour of the season!
I don’t know what it is about pumpkins and squash, but they just seem to be the most comforting of flavours and the most silky of textures. They are adaptable too, you can use them for a pasta sauce or cut into chunks for a delicious curry.
Adding a splash of coconut milk and a dash or turmeric turns squash into an absolute delight. This is a wonderfully smooth soup with a delicate flavour of squash with the hint of savoury turmeric and sweet coconut. I honestly can’t think of anything so lovely. Oh, wait. Perhaps I can! Add some lightly fried and crispy sage leaves to the mix, some lightly browned flaked almonds and a loaf of artisan sour dough and you’re in autumn heaven!
Seriously, give it a go – especially while squash are in abundance!
Butternut Squash, Turmeric and Coconut Soup (vegan)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large butternut squash, peeled (if the skin is thick), deseeded and cut into rough cubes
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
400 g tin of coconut milk
500 ml veg stock
For the fancy bits (optional, but delicious)
4 large sage leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
a handful of flaked almonds
Method:
- In a large pan or stock pot, heat the olive oil
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden
- Add the cumin seeds to the pan and cook until fragrant (about 30-40 seconds) then add the turmeric and paprika
- Stir the mix to heat the powdered spices
- Chuck the cubed squash into the pan and stir to coat in the spices
- Pour in the coconut milk (reserving some if you want a swirl in your soup) and the stock
- Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer
- Partially cover the pan n simmer for 30 minutes until the squash is soft and tender (i.e. fully cooked)
- Remove the pan from the heat and using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth (if you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a regular blender)
- Place back onto a low heat to get warmed up again (the whizzing cools the soup down!)
If you’re doing the posh bit!
- In a small frying pan, add the flaked almons and heat over a medium to high heat until golden
- Remove the nuts and put to the side
- Add 1 tbs olive oil the pan and heat up
- Place the sage leaves into the oil and cook until crispy (turning if you need to get parts of the leaf into the oil (this usually only takes about a minute max)
- Remove the leaves and put to the side
- Ladle the soup into large bowls and swirl with the remaining coconut milk (if you’re going posh)
- Over the top scatter the flaked almonds and arrange the crispy sage
- Serve with some artisan soda bread and enjoy!
To be honest with you, I used to be totally against adding the posh bits when I was making soup. It just seemed like a ‘cheffy’ (Jamie Oliver’s words) kind of thing to do. However, I have since had a bit of a change of heart as often the little additions that you put on a soup can really take it up that little level. I can’t say that I do it all the time because I certainly don’t, but on occasion, it is nice to have that little bit of oomph. Oh and who doesn’t want to feel a bit cheffy once in a while?
Oooh and crispy sage! If you haven’t ever tried, it you really need to. It is such an amazing flavour and texture that I can’t even describe it right now – only drool imagining eating it – especially accompanying Butternut Squash, Turmeric and Coconut Soup!! It is nearly lunch time, and I have it for left overs, so give me a break!
Right, I’m off to polish off the rest of my soup! I hope you have a great day!
Do you love squash and pumpkin? How about poshing up your dinners, yes or no?
Let me know in the comments below!
Oh and remember to get pinning so you have somewhere to browse while you do your weekly meal plan!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled (if the skin is thick), deseeded and cut into rough cubes
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 400 g tin of coconut milk
- 500 ml veg stock
- For the fancy bits (optional, but delicious)
- 4 large sage leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- a handful of flaked almonds
- In a large pan or stock pot, heat the olive oil
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden
- Add the cumin seeds to the pan and cook until fragrant (about 30-40 seconds) then add the turmeric and paprika
- Stir the mix to heat the powdered spices
- Chuck the cubed squash into the pan and stir to coat in the spices
- Pour in the coconut milk (reserving some if you want a swirl in your soup) and the stock
- Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer
- Partially cover the pan n simmer for 30 minutes until the squash is soft and tender (i.e. fully cooked)
- Remove the pan from the heat and using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth (if you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a regular blender)
- Place back onto a low heat to get warmed up again (the whizzing cools the soup down!)
- If you’re doing the posh bit!
- In a small frying pan, add the flaked almons and heat over a medium to high heat until golden
- Remove the nuts and put to the side
- Add 1 tbs olive oil the pan and heat up
- Place the sage leaves into the oil and cook until crispy (turning if you need to get parts of the leaf into the oil (this usually only takes about a minute max)
- Remove the leaves and put to the side
- Ladle the soup into large bowls and swirl with the remaining coconut milk (if you’re going posh)
- Over the top scatter the flaked almonds and arrange the crispy sage
- Serve with some artisan soda bread and enjoy!
4 comments
I am so sending this to my better half. This sounds like the perfect winter warmer and anything that involves butternut squash and coconut is always a winner for me!
You will love this soup then, Emily, the coconut and squash are just delicious together. I hope your better half gets making it for you, that would be lovely! 🙂 Let me know what you think when you’ve made it 🙂
Butternut squash is one of my all time favourite vegetables and it really does make the most fabulous soup. I’m not a huge fan of coconut though I must admit
Butternut Squash is amazing, isn’t it? It think it is what Autumn was made for 🙂 Do you like almonds, Colette? You could substitute the coconut milk for Almond Milk for a more nutty flavour that will be equally smooth and creamy.