Once again, my daughter Mika asked me to make butternut squash soup as part of my Christmas Eve menu. I had made a version of it for my 2008 Christmas Eve dinner, but I hadn’t been that thrilled with it. I found a number of well-rated recipes online, but many reviewers suggested that they were quite bland without some doctoring. So I decided to start with Claire Robinson‘s recipe as a base and add extra seasonings to make it tastier. The results were quite good, even my husband liked the taste. I didn’t blend it as much as I should have, however, so parts of it were a bit chunky 🙁 The soup, as I made it, was unfortunately a bit too spicy for Mika, though perfect for the rest of us. To make it child friendly substitute regular curry powder for the Madras curry powder I used. I made this soup the day before I served it, it heated up very well. This recipe should serve 12 adults easily, half it if there are fewer of you. Serve with sour cream.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 butternut squashes
- 1/4 cup olive oil + more for brushing
- salt and pepper
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. curry powder
- 2 tsp. Madras curry powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 quarts chicken stock
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F
Cut off tops and bottoms of the squashes. Cut them in two, lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put facing down on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and carefully turn the squash around, so the flesh faces up. Let cool and then scoop out the pulp into a bowl, discarding the peels.
Heat 3 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat in a stock pot. Add the chopped shallots and the ginger and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and spices and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the reserved squash and the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Let cool and then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, blend in a blender in batches. Return to the pot and cook for at least five more minutes to let flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Marga’s 2011 Christmas Eve Menu
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