Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup

Everyone says not to try new recipes on dinner guests but I often do and generally I’m happy with the results. That was definitely the case with this recipe that appeared in the Salina Journal (10/21/15) for Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup.

I was a little worried about the spice level so I adjusted a few of them (coriander, cinnamon, cayenne—I’ve underlined the amounts I used below but have also included the original amounts for those who might want the full effect). I also added garnishes that, in my opinion, added the finishing touches to the soup.

Rather than serve this at the table, I ladled the soup into glass cups and set them out for guests to pick up. They drank their soup course as they mingled.

Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil (original recipe called for butter)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into round chunks

1 large butternut squash (about 2 ½ lbs.), peeled, seeded & cubed

6 cups chicken broth

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

½ to 1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

Pinch to ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch turmeric

Pinch ground cloves

½ cup heavy cream

Garnishes: crushed croutons & sour cream

1. Add olive oil to a large stockpot set on medium heat. Add onion, carrots and squash; sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions starts to soften.
   
2. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
   
3. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and cloves; simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
4. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender. (At this point the soup still was not quite as smooth as I wanted since we were drinking it out of cups, so I poured, and pushed, it through a fine mesh colander.)
   
5. Return pureed soup to pot. (I actually made the soup a day ahead of time and refrigerated it and then returned it to the pot to heat on the evening of the dinner party; this also helped to meld the flavors.)
6. Add cream and heat just until warmed through.  
7. To serve: Ladle soup into a cup or bowl; garnish with crushed croutons and a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe without photos . . .

Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup 

2 tablespoons olive oil (original recipe called for butter)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into round chunks

1 large butternut squash (about 2 ½ lbs.), peeled, seeded & cubed

6 cups chicken broth 

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

½ to 1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

Pinch to ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch turmeric

Pinch ground cloves

½ cup heavy cream

Garnishes: crushed croutons & sour cream

1. Add olive oil to a large stockpot set on medium heat. Add onion, carrots and squash; sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions starts to soften.
2. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and cloves; simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
4. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender. (At this point the soup still was not quite as smooth as I wanted since we were drinking it out of cups, so I poured, and pushed, it through a fine mesh colander.)
5. Return pureed soup to pot. (I actually made the soup a day ahead of time and refrigerated it and then returned it to the pot to heat on the evening of the dinner party; this also helped to meld the flavors.)
6. Add cream and heat just until warmed through.  
7. To serve: Ladle soup into a cup or bowl; garnish with crushed croutons and a dollop of sour cream.