cooking / soups

Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

serves 16 (double batch) · about 2 hours · 15 minutes, plus 30-50 minutes to bake the squash hands on · easy

Why This Works

Baking the squash whole-halved concentrates its sweetness before it ever hits the pot, apples add brightness against the curry and ginger, and a sautéed kale-and-red-onion mound in each bowl turns a smooth soup into a complete meal.

Ingredients

Soup base (double batch)

  • Butternut squash (1360g / about 3 lbs)
  • Olive oil (4 Tbsp, divided)
  • Large yellow onions (2, chopped)
  • Medium apples (2, any variety, peeled and diced)
  • Vegetable broth (4 cups, or 4 cups water plus 2 bouillon cubes)
  • Curry powder (4 tsp)
  • Fresh ginger (4 tsp, grated)
  • Ground nutmeg or allspice (1/4 tsp)
  • Light coconut milk (2 cans, 14 oz each)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Garnish

  • Red onions (4 medium, quartered and thinly sliced)
  • Kale (2 bunches, 10-12 oz each)

Method

  1. Bake the squash. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side up in a foil-lined baking dish, cover tightly with more foil, and bake 30-50 minutes until easily pierced with a knife. Scoop out the flesh; discard the skins.
  2. Sauté the onions. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the yellow onions and sauté until golden, 8-10 minutes.
  3. Simmer the base. Add the apples, baked squash, broth, curry powder, ginger, and nutmeg. Bring to a steady simmer, cover, and simmer gently until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Purée. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot (easiest), or transfer the solids in batches to a food processor, purée until smooth, and return to the pot.
  5. Add coconut milk. Stir it in and return the soup to a gentle simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Optional: let the soup stand off heat for 1-2 hours for the flavors to meld, then reheat before serving.
  6. Make the garnish. Just before serving, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet, add the sliced red onions, and sauté over low heat until golden and soft.
  7. Cook the kale. Strip the leaves from the stems and cut into thin shreds. Add to the skillet with the onions with just enough water to moisten the surface. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes.
  8. Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a small mound of the kale-onion mixture in the center of each.

Notes

  • Make-ahead: The soup can be made 1-2 days ahead — the flavor improves. The squash can be baked a day ahead too.
  • Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
  • Garnish timing: Make the kale-onion topping fresh just before serving for the best color and texture.
  • Apple variety: Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith all work.
  • Scaling: This is a doubled recipe (the original serves 8); halve everything for a smaller batch.