Thai-Style Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ah, soup season — there's nothing quite like it. Once the weather takes a cooler turn, a few warm and comforting food-related items come to mind, and one of them is undoubtedly soup. There's something so comforting about the aroma of soup cooking on the stove at home when you're bundled up in cozy clothes and hunkered down inside. And, while it doesn't necessarily need to be cold outside to enjoy this soup, it's still a warm and inviting picture to paint.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn is a pro at whipping up delicious soup recipes, and this one is no exception. "I love that this soup is super easy to make and has TONS of flavor and health benefits," Hahn raves. But what health benefits, you ask? "This soup offers so many health benefits. First, squash is full of fiber and vitamins, and minerals. All of the fruits and veggies that have that bright orange color are full of Vitamin A, making it great for your skin," Hahn shares. 

Cilantro is also one of the key players here. "There is a full cup of cilantro in this soup, one of my favorite herbs. It has a way of detoxing the body by pulling heavy metals out. Plus, it gives the soup really good flavor (and makes it have a green tinge!)," Hahn explains. "And then, of course the ginger and turmeric are both anti-inflammatory and strong healing foods!" Keep reading to find out how to make this wonderfully comforting and nutritious soup.

Ready to start? You'll need a little bit of oil for cooking, along with a butternut squash, salt, a shallot, fresh ginger, garlic cloves, a serrano chili, lemongrass paste, ground turmeric, cilantro, lime juice, coconut milk, and soy sauce. Once you have those items, you can get started on this Thai-style butternut squash soup.

Turn the dial of your oven to 400 F and let it get nice and hot while you begin the prep work.

Then, grab a bowl and the cubed butternut squash. Drizzle in some oil and a ½ teaspoon of salt on top of the squash. Shake the bowl to coat the squash in oil and salt, which adds a nice flavor and base for roasting. Once your oven has finished preheating, transfer the squash to a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

While your squash cooks, grab a cutting board and a sharp knife. First, place the shallot on the cutting board and chop it well. Set that to the side, and then move the garlic to its place on the cutting board. Mince well using a knife, or if you have a garlic mincer, you could always use that instead. The last two things you need to do is grate are the ginger and dice the chili.

Take out a soup pot and add the remaining olive oil. Place it on your stove and crank the heat to medium-high. Once the oil starts getting hot, you can add the shallot, ginger, and garlic. Sauté the ingredients for about 2 minutes —making sure to stir mixture as it cooks. This will prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. 

Next, toss in the chili, lemongrass paste, and turmeric. Sauté for about 8 minutes, frequently stirring as you go. Add a little water to the pan if the mixture gets too dry.

By now, the squash should have finished cooking, and the items in your soup pot should also be good to go. Transfer the contents of both into a blender. In addition, you can also throw in the cilantro, remaining salt, lime juice, coconut milk, soy sauce, and pepper to taste. Blend the ingredients until smooth. If you prefer a slightly thinner soup, add ¼ cup of water at a time and blend to your desired consistency.

"If you don't have a blender, and you have a food processor, I would add the squash and onion mixture to that and then just add the other liquids to the pot when you pour the squash mixture back in. (too much liquid in a food processor and leak out and create a mess)," Hahn shares. "If you have an immersion blender, you could use that also. Or you could just leave it chunky!"

Remove the soup from the blender and serve in a cup or bowl of your choice. This soup is excellent on its own, but Hahn provides a few serving suggestions that you may want to try. "I like to serve this with a hearty salad, but it also works well with a fun sandwich like the Tofu Banh Mi or even something like these delicious zucchini crab cakes," she suggests. How good do those two options that sound?

Another great part about this recipe? The leftovers, of course! "This soup will last in the fridge all week," Hahn shares. "Makes a great meal prep item to make ahead and have ready for the week! I store all my leftovers in glass containers so you can see what you have and that plastic doesn't leach into the food!"

We hope this soup warms your soul.