recipe: butternut squash soup with quinoa and coconut
butternut squash soup is great for the winter months. but sometimes the dish falls short on being substantive. for a heartier fare, i add a mix of plump quinoa and sweet coconut flakes, and i thicken the soup with reduced-fat coconut milk.
topper:
1 cup of cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry quinoa, 1-1 1/2 cup water, boil for full 10-15 minutes, remove from heat and leave it covered for 10-20 minutes until the quinoa becomes plump), cooled
1/4 cup of sweetened coconut flakes, or coconut chips (our friends from dang foods make a killer coconut chip that would work well here! to adapt to this recipe, i'd suggest pulsing for a few seconds in a food processor to achieve a more flake-like consistency.)
soup:
1 butternut squash
1 small shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch of fresh ginger
1 tspn of cinnamon
5 whole cloves, dried
drizzle of honey (or vegan sub)
pinch of salt
1 cup of coconut milk (reduced fat)
1 cup of vegetable broth
2 cups of water
cut butternut squash in half and roast in oven on 400 F for 1 hour. roasting makes the recipe so much easier, because the squash will have an intensified flavor, and it will be easy to scoop out. in a large pan, sauté coarsely chopped shallot, garlic and ginger. add squash. pour on broth and water and cook for 10 minutes. puree in blender and then return to stove, simmering on low. thicken with 1 cup of coconut milk. season with cinnamon, cloves, salt, and a rigorous drizzle of honey.
in a separate bowl, combine quinoa and shredded coconut.
plate butternut squash soup in a shallow bowl and spoon quinoa and coconut on top. the smooth velvety texture of the soup pairs nicely with the textured quinoa and coconut.