Soup Recipe: Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

During Lent, I usually try to make more soups and less heartier meals. This year I haven't really been making a ton of soups, but just trying to use up everything in our house instead of buying more food to make the meals I'm in the mood for (which I tend to do, LOL).

I came up with this soup last year, when we really did just have soups for dinner. I made it again this past Friday, and Matthew was saying how much he loved it. Now, Matthew does not really care for squash (and scores of other vegetables), so I thought I'd share this recipe with you.  I only made this soup with 1 butternut squash this time, but really the best/easiest way to make it is the way I'll share with you here. I do not have a nice pic of this because I forgot to take one. Oh well!

Ingredients:
2 butternut squash
1 small-med head of garlic
1 sweet onion (sliced/chopped)
1 TBSP butter
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
32oz  vegetable broth (I use Swanson organic vegetable broth- or you can make your own)
13 oz can of coconut milk
1) Preheat oven to 375F.  Cut the two butternut squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds. Place in baking dish skin down. Wrap head of garlic in aluminum foil and also place in the baking dish. Bake for about 30-45mins (or until you can scoop the squash out of the skin).
2) Melt 1tbsp butter in your soup pot. Cook onions until caramelized. Put in a food processor.
3) Scoop the cooked squash into the food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into the food processor. Puree until smooth (you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your food processor).
4) Put pureed mixture in your pot and then add vegetable broth and curry powder. Stir until all combined and uniform and heat until boiling. Then add coconut milk and heat again until hot. Then serve.

If you prefer thinner soups, you can either add less coconut milk or add more vegetable broth.
You can also use this as a sauce for curry chicken. I have been thinking about doing this for ages but haven't done it yet as I always make this on Fridays (we do not eat meat on Fridays).

If you want to make curry chicken with this here's what I'd do:
Pan fry some cut up chicken seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt. Cut up some ginger (in larger slices so you can pick it out).  Heat up some oil in a pan and then pan fry the chicken with the ginger. You can add a little sesame seed oil and a teeny splash of soy sauce (not too much or it'll be too salty).  When the chicken is done, add it to the above soup, with some cooked peas, carrots, and some chickpeas (canned or soaked) and let it simmer all together for a bit. Voila! You'll have a very hearty, healthy and tasty coconut curry chicken!