As the weather steadily gets cooler, I have one thing on my mind. Soup. Especially any winter squash soup. Its so comforting, easy to make and the combinations are endless. They can require a lot of chopping. But a one-pot meal makes the chopping worth it. Today I’m sharing a smooth and creamy soup: Red Curry Winter Squash Bisque.
Choosing a Winter Squash
For this Winter Squash Bisque, I chose a buttercup squash. Have you worked with buttercup squash? I had not heard of it until a few years ago. I was creating a thanksgiving menu and my husband said his favorite side is mashed buttercup squash. And I was like buttercup? You mean butternut. But no, he meant what he said and that year, I made my first of many batches of mashed buttercup squash.
Buttercup is a squat, round, dark green squash. Looks similar to Kabocha, but unlike Kabocha, you have to peel buttercup. The flesh of buttercup squash is dense and starchy. And when it is cooked its almost creamy. In my experience, it does best in moist heat applications. That is to say-steaming, simmering in soups or boiling to purée or in a winter squash bisque, like this. It would be a great sub for anything calling for kabocha squash like my Kabocha Squash Red Curry!
If you can’t find buttercup squash, kabocha would be the closest substitute. Just make sure to peel it. But butternut squash will work, as well!
How to Prep your Winter Squash
Squash prep is the hardest part of this winter squash soup. Buttercup is dense, so be sure you are using a sharp knife. Cut the squash in half on its meridian. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and the other stringy center bits. Discard. Now, peel the squash using a vegetable peeler, making sure to get all of the green parts. You will have to peel quite a bit. I hope your shoulder is ready for a workout!
Once the squash is peeled, cut into about 1 inch chunks and you have successfully prepped the squash! The peeling is a lot, but I promise this velvety Winter Squash Bisque is worth it.
Choosing a Curry Paste
There are a lot of curry paste options at my grocery store. They are all fine for the most part, so any Thai red curry paste will work here. But my current favorite is this Maesri brand. It is flavorful, fresh and well balanced. Its also pretty spicy, so if you are trying to keep this Red Curry Butter Cup Squash Bisque on the mild side, I’d choose A Taste of Thai red curry paste.
The resulting Red Curry Winter Squash Bisque is incredibly flavorful, velvety and creamy. So serve up some bowls and cozy up next to the fire.
Red Curry Buttercup Squash Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 7 Cups Seeded, Peeled and Cubed Buttercup Squash 1 Medium Squash
- 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk
- 2 Tbsp Red Curry Paste
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Green Onion to Garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, combine olive oil and diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add squash, vegetable stock, coconut milk and curry paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook with the lid on for 15 minutes or until the squash is fully cooked through.
- Remove from heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (You can also CAREFULLY blend the soup in a blender.)
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with green onion.
Let me know how you like this recipe!
