My husband, Roger, and I have been fortunate enough to travel in Asia quite a bit. We love the food there, so I was inspired to tweak the flavor of a traditional squash soup with Thai seasonings. This spectacular orange soup with green gremolata and red sriracha makes a great dinner with an Asian-style salad of shredded cucumber and carrot with sesame oil and vinegar dressing. For a feast, you can even add pork dumplings or spring rolls.
Ingredients
½ c. chopped cilantro
| ½ c. chopped peanuts |
| 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lime peel |
| 1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs.), sliced in half lengthwise and seeded |
| 1 Tbsp. olive oil |
| salt and pepper |
| 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil |
| ¼ c. finely chopped onion |
| ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper |
| 2 c. chicken broth |
| 1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk |
| 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar |
| 1 Tbsp. fish sauce |
| 2 Tbsp. lime juice |
| Sriracha, to taste |
Preparation
Make the gremolata:
In a small bowl, stir together cilantro, peanuts and lime peel. Set aside.
Make the soup:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Rub the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place halves facedown in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan to which you’ve added ½ cup of water. Roast until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large soup pot, warm vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and crushed red pepper; sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Using a large spoon, scoop the roasted squash into the pot, add the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce; stir to blend well. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer ½ hour, stirring often.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed. Stir in the lime juice.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls, topping each with the gremolata and a squirt of sriracha.
Serves four.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 320; Fat: 19g; Cholesterol: 5mg; Sodium: 1510mg; Total Carbohydrates: 39g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 11g; Protein: 9g.
