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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.

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