Red Curry Red Kuri Squash Soup
Well, that’s a mouthful. I swear I didn’t set out to make a tongue-twister of a recipe but sometimes things just work out that way!
This nourishing soup came to be as a delivery meal for a friend who had just had mouth surgery. With a diet limited to smooth foods for days, I wanted to bring her something that was nourishing and filling. From this the sneaky bean soup was born. As it’s now the final days of October it’s time to fully embrace autumn now it seemed fitting to bring over a squash soup. I had some concerns about the satiety of a fully smooth diet, so I turned it into a sneak bean soup. The beans really are a superstar here as they increase the fiber, add protein and act as a thickener.
Red Kuri Squash
If you’ve never had a red kuri squash before you are in for a treat. They are richer and sweeter in flavour than the fall soup all-star butternut squash. It’s signature chestnut flavour is also how it got its name, as ‘kuri’ is a direct translation of ‘chestnut’ in Japanese.
The skin of the red kuri is edible and will become soft and tender as it cooks, but since we are pureeing this soup it’s best to peel it off!
If you’ve never tried one I beg you to take a chance on this vibrant and lumpy cutie. Don’t feel like having it in soup, that’s cool! They hold up well to roasting but you could also throw slices in a steamer basket or even sub it in for pumpkin in your next pie!
Grocery List
Prep Ahead?
This squash soup comes together quite quickly so I wouldn’t bother prepping the ingredients in advance.
Once the soup is made it will last in the fridge for 4-5 days or feel free to freeze it!
If you would like to serve this soup with my Roasted Red Curry and Brown Sugar Seeds I would recommend making them first as picking and cleaning the seeds can be quite tedious. You can start the soup while they are in the oven.
Choosing a Curry Paste
Most recipes that you read that include curry paste will warn you that all curry pastes vary in spice and flavour, and this is no different.
If you aren’t familiar with the curry paste you have I recommend starting with a tablespoon and adding more to taste. I have become quite sensitive to spice and while I could handle a 1/4 Cup of the Thai Kitchen curry paste using only 3 Tbsp of Mae Ploy’s had me sweating.
Red Curry Red Kuri Squash Soup
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Pot
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 large Carrot
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger
- 3 lb Red Kuri Squash
- 2-4 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillion Vegetable Base (Or 1L/4cups broth)
- 440 ml Can Full Fat Coconut Milk (14 oz)
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 15 oz Can Cannellini Beans
- Cilantro (Optional)
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Optional)
Instructions
- Prep all of your vegetables. Peel, seed and cut your squash into 1" peices. Thinly slice the cloves of garlic, dice the onion and carrot then peel and finely chop or grate the ginger.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and carrots to the pot, season with salt and stir occasionally until they have started to soften. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and stir constantly for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the curry paste to the pot and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until everything is evenly coated and the paste has started to darken in colour.
- To the pot add the diced squash, drained and rinsed beans, coconut milk, Better Than Bouillion plus 4 cups of water (or 4 cups of broth) and maple syrup.Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is fully tender.
- Use the immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Garnish with cilantro and roasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
