It was great to meet some of the people that have provided all the support for the Special K's.  It was also nice to be able to feed many of them.  From the number of requests I had for the recipe of my soup to be posted on the blog I have to feel that I met most of them after they had liberally indulged in the libations….

Here is the recipe.  It is really easy, hope you enjoy.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)

2 medium onions chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 medium butternut squash (2 – 2 ½ pounds)

3 small turnips

1 ½ quarts chicken broth (or veggie broth)

8 ounces of coconut milk

6 table spoons of fresh cilantro

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Goat cheese (Feta can be substituted)

Variations I’ve tried:

I’ve added other root veggies (up to 2 carrots, 2 rutabagas, 1 sweet potato).  For a slightly different taste you can use pumpkins (use small ones) instead of the butternut.

·        Peel the squash, and then dice into 1 inch pieces (about 6-8 cups). 

·        Heat half the olive oil on medium in a heavy bottom soup pot.

·        Add the onions & garlic, cook for 5 minutes.

·        Add the curry powder and cook for another 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) until onions are tender.

·        Add squash, turnips (and any other root vegetables) briefly stir

·        Add the broth.

·        Bring mixture to a boil and stir.

·        Lower heat to simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes (until squash is very tender).

·        Depending on the size of your food processor you may need to do this part in batches. Put mixture in a food processor and add the remaining olive oil and cilantro.  Run to create a thick emulsion.

·        Pour back into the rinsed pot (or if going to a HOOTENANY GLOB PARTY a crock pot) to keep warm.

·        Add the coconut milk and stir.

·        Season to taste with kosher salt & ground pepper.

·        Serve in bowls and add a little goat cheese.

This is exactly the recipe (well the best I remember) but I doubled it for the party.  Karla & I actually think it is better to use an extra 8 ounces of broth when cooking and not use any coconut milk.  The coconut milk makes it a little sweeter and cuts the bite of the curry which I thought might be safe for a large group.

Safety note:  If using a blender instead of a food processor allow the mixture to cool slightly prior to blending.  Also, I have tried using an immersion blender but it didn’t create the same smooth texture.