Kuri Squash Curry Soup
Mmmmmmm.
When I hear that from Ed and he doesn’t say anything else, I know I’ve cooked a winner. Like this soup. He just said Mmmmm a few times until he finished. He actually did then pronounce it “excellent,” which was redundant by that time.
I used kuri squash to make this soup. Kuri comes around for only a short time. I’ve written about it before. It’s my favorite squash, drier flesh than most of the others and a sweeter, more intense flavor and velvety texture.
This is going to sound silly but I wanted to taste whether kuri and curry would go together. Hence, this soup.
They do.
Kuri Curry Soup
1 kuri squash, about 3 pounds
2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups coconut milk, approximately
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash into pieces and scoop out the seeds (roast the seeds separately). Brush the squash with about a half tablespoon of the vegetable oil, place the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until tender. When the squash is cool enough to be handled, remove the flesh and discard the rind. Mash the squash and set aside 2-1/2 cups for the soup (use any extra for muffins, quick breads and so on). Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the squash. Add the curry powder and cayenne and blend them in. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, bring the soup to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or with a hand blender. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add more coconut milk if necessary to thin out the soup. Makes 6 servings