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Smoky Braised Winter Squash Soup

Photo courtesy God's Love We Deliver

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED December 19, 2023

Squash is perhaps a vegetable that can be harder to embrace, due to its thick skin and starchiness, but there are infinite ways to prepare it. Once you get used to it, I dare you not to love it. It works especially well with warming spices and the creaminess that comes from coconut milk.

 

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Smoky Braised Winter Squash Soup

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Makes 6 to 8 servings 1x

Time 2 to 3 hours, mostly unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. good-quality vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. Burlap & Barrel/God’s Love We Deliver Smoke & Garlic Blend
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 pounds butternut or other winter squash, peeled and chopped (4 to 5 cups)
  • 1 cup coconut milk, stock, or water
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spice blend and ginger, lower the heat a little, and stir until the onion just starts to brown and the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
  2. Add squash and coconut milk, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so it bubbles steadily. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Check the pot periodically and add a little more liquid to prevent the squash from sticking. If the squash is done and the mixture is still soupy, remove the lid and increase the heat so the liquid bubbles furiously; cook until it’s thicker than stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  3. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot or warm.

— Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition

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