Thai Butternut Squash Peanut Soup
Posted from Wisconsin From Scratch on September 27, 2017 | Recipe
Description
On a chilly fall day, a warming, hearty soup like this one, replete with butternut squash, coconut milk, chiles, and peanuts is exactly what we all need.
Brought to you by WI Whisk blogger, Wisconsin From Scratch.
Ingredients
- SOUP
- 1 T. canola oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 T. chopped lemongrass (about 2 stalks)
- 2 t. grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 t. tumeric
- 1/4 t. cayenne
- 2 T. peanut butter
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1.5 lbs)
- 1 14oz can coconut milk, light
- 2 T. fresh lime juice (about one lime)
- 1 t. fish sauce
- salt, to taste
- fresh cilantro, crispy fried shallots, and chile paste for serving
- CHILE PASTE
- 5 Thai bird's eye chiles, chopped *careful, these are super hot and you may want to wear gloves*
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 t. fish sauce
- CRISPY FRIED SHALLOTS
- 4 t. canola oil
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/4 t. salt
Preparation
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the peanut butter and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add the cubed squash, and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, 1 cup water, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until squash is tender, about 25-30 minutes.
5. While soup cooks, make your soup toppings. For the chile paste, combine the chilies, garlic, and fish sauce in a mortar and pestle, and grind until a coarse consistency is achieved. Alternately, if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, just chop the garlic and chilies very finely and mix with the fish sauce.
6. For the fried shallots, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy (once they start to brown, keep a close eye on them as they can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly if you’re not careful). Transfer shallots to a paper towel to drain, and toss with the salt to season.
7. Once squash is tender, transfer the soup to a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree soup to a smooth consistency. Stir in the fish sauce, and season to taste with salt.
8. Serve soup topped with fresh cilantro, crispy fried shallots, and as much chile paste as you can handle.