WDW - Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

I was so happy to get a big butternut squash in my farm box last week! I had cut out a recipe for butternut squash soup that I was dying to try, because it called for one of my favorite ingredients - coconut milk. I happen to love butternut squash soup - and let me tell you, with the addition of the coconut milk, this recipe was tastiest bowls of it that I've ever had. And, it was super easy to make.

If you are not familiar with butternut squash, no need to feel intimidated. First, you need to peel the skin off with a wide peeler, cut it open and discard the seeds. Then, just cube up all the beautiful orange flesh with a sharp knife. For this recipe, after I did that, I just dumped the squash cubes in a soup pot, added the rest of the ingredients, and simmered for a few hours. When the squash was fork tender, I pureed it all with my stick blender. If you don't have a stick blender, you can puree the soup in small batches in a blender. Mmm.

As a little treat alongside the soup, I cut up one sheet of Trader Joe's puff pastry into strips (you can find the pastry in the frozen section). I put the strips on a baking sheet, brushed with egg wash, and sprinkled with a little shredded parmigiano. A 10 minute bake at 400 degrees ... and they were heaven! And, with the extra pastry sheet, I made four lovely little nutella turnovers for dessert. Nice!

Coconut Buttermilk Squash Soup

1 4 lb. butternut squash
2 cans coconut milk
1 box chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped brown onion
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

fresh cilantro for garnish, optional

Peel and cube squash. Put in a large soup pot and add remaining ingredients. Simmer 3 hours, or until squash is fork-tender. Puree with stick blender. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.