Christmas

Thai Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Coconut-Lime Cream

by:
October  2, 2016
5
3 Ratings
Thai Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Coconut-Lime Cream
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This is my welcome to fall soup. I love Thai food and ingredients and thought they would pair wonderfully with the squash and apples. For a puréed soup, I always love to add some texture and the sauteed apples and toasted pepitas work perfectly! —Beyondthebayou

Test Kitchen Notes

I'll be honest, I was quite hesitant with this recipe upon first glance. I rarely see soups that don't call for garlic, carrots, or celery. I don't love blended soups. It seemed like a lot of lime juice. Sriracha? Really? And it only takes 30 minutes? Jeez. Well, my doubts have been squashed (hehe)! The best part about this soup is the coconut milk/cream, which elevates it to a complexity level that I adore. I was tempted to amp up the Sriracha, because if we're going there, I'm going to go all the way. I'm glad I didn't—surely the Sriracha would have overpowered the coconut and that's definitely worth holding back for. The lime creates a necessary acid to balance this all out. I will say the apples I used didn't come through for me (I used Honeycrisp). Perhaps a tart green apple might show its flavors more.
Overall, I was hugely impressed by this recipe. It came together in a snap, and would be very fun to adapt with other ingredients. —Amy Nelson

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 cups butternut squash, chopped
  • 2 cups red apples, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced onion
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 5.6 ounces can of whole coconut milk
  • 2 limes
  • 2 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 1 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • 1 cup red apple, diced
  • Pepitas, for serving
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Toss butternut squash, the chopped apples, and the onions with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender.
  3. Open up the can of coconut milk and scoop out the coconut fat and two tablespoons of the liquid into a small dish. Squeeze the juice of one lime and add a pinch of salt. Whisk and place the coconut-lime cream aside.
  4. Combine stock, roasted squash mixture, remaining coconut milk, ginger, Sriracha, Thai curry paste, and juice of one lime into a saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Taste for salt. Blend until smooth (in batches, if needed).
  5. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and add the diced apple. Sauté for 5-6minutes. Place aside.
  6. Toast pepitas in a dry pan until some brown color develops and they slightly puff up.
  7. Serve the soup toped with the coconut-lime cream, sautéed apples, and pepitas.
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  • Beyondthebayou
    Beyondthebayou
  • boardandspoon
    boardandspoon
  • Courtney Hess
    Courtney Hess
  • JLHQueens
    JLHQueens

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10 Reviews

boardandspoon
boardandspoon January 30, 2021
One note on the coconut cream: if you buy the hippie organic kind, you will end up with a curdled-looking mess. This technique only works with brands that include a stabilizer like guar gum. Thai kitchen is an example.
 
Courtney H.
Courtney H. October 12, 2020
We made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic! Warm and satisfying on a cool autumn night but filled with bright, fresh, summer flavors. Somewhere between the first and second bowl I realized it's also healthy and vegan. The recipe is great, exactly as written, but next time I'll double it and leave out the sriracha, then let everyone add chili oil to their own bowl to add as much spice as they want. Don't skimp on the pepitas!
 
Courtney H.
Courtney H. October 12, 2020
We made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic! Warm and satisfying on a cool autumn night but filled with bright, fresh, summer flavors. Somewhere between the first and second bowl I realized it's also healthy and vegan. The recipe is great, exactly as written, but next time I'll double it and leave out the sriracha, then let everyone add chili oil to their own bowl to add as much spice as they want. Don't skimp on the pepitas!
 
JLHQueens
JLHQueens November 14, 2016
JLHQueens
I think it can definitely be made ahead-just add the pepitas and creme as you're about to serve it.
 
Megan
Megan November 13, 2016
Can't wait to try this-can it be made ahead? Any suggestions if doing so?
 
Beyondthebayou
Beyondthebayou November 15, 2016
Hi Megan, this can definitely be made ahead. You might want to reserve some stock when reheating, depending on how thin you would like your soup, and just like JLH said, add the pepitas and creme when serving.
 
JLHQueens
JLHQueens November 10, 2016
JLH Queens
I made this tonight and thought it was amazing. Definitely restaurant worthy-the flavors are complex and wonderful. I cut the chili paste to one tablespoon and thought it was just right. Thanks for the great recipe!
 
Beyondthebayou
Beyondthebayou November 12, 2016
Thank you for the kind words and so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Can't wait to post more.
 
Beyondthebayou
Beyondthebayou October 13, 2016
HungryinSeattle- so glad you enjoyed it!! :)
 
HungryinSeattle
HungryinSeattle October 12, 2016
Wow, this is incredible and complex in flavor. I made it with Granny Smiths instead of reds. I also didn't have chili paste so upped the Sriracha. All the additions - pepitas, cream - elevate this soup to something well above home cooking. Yum.