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Spicy Sweet Heart Warming Butternut Squash Curry in an Hour

A spicy yet savory sweet curry soup you can whip up in under 2 hours or dump into a slow cooker for hands off cooking. You can change and add the ingredients to your liking. I like using this recipe as a good base to serve with additional protein, grains, or bread. 

If you have never cooked with curry powder before it can seem intimidating. This soup is a great starting point. The amount of curry powder in this recipe is relatively mild compared to most curry dishes. The mix of coriander, paprika, cayenne, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric compliment the sweetness of the butternut squash in a heavenly way. It adds some nice heat with the warm spices like cumin and cayenne while adding sweet notes with coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Another ingredient you may find odd is peanut butter. If you are a peanut butter fan,  I promise you will not notice it in the final dish. If you do not have peanut butter you can try subbing out for sunflower seed butter, tahini, or cashew butter. The nut butter you choose will add creaminess along with a nutty umami flavor. It compliments the sweetness in a savory way if that makes sense. 

Serving Tips:

  • Serve with steamed vegetables like broccoli, bokchoy, cauliflower
  • Crusty bread 
  • Serve over grains like steamed rice, barley, buckwheat, farro, quinoa 
  • Naan bread 
  • Pita bread
  • Top with chopped nuts plus cilantro right before  serving 

Soup Additions:

  • Add chopped broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato
  • Add additional legumes like chickpeas, tofu, butter beans
  • Add meat to the dish like boneless skinless chicken thighs, shrimp, pork, beef
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Rest Time 10 mins
Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
Cooking Method: ,
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 4
Description

A spicy yet savory sweet curry soup you can whip up in under 2 hours or dump into a slow cooker for hands off cooking. A delicious warming fall and winter soup.

Ingredients
  • 1 Tb fresh ginger minced (tip: use a zester)
  • 2 medium size carrots diced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tb curry powder
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tb of maple syrup or sugar for added sweetness (optional)
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 2 Ibs butternut squash cubed
  • 1 cup of dried red lentils or yellow split peas (soaked for a few hours or washed in colander)
  • 3 Tb peanut butter or seed butter for nut free
  • 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk canned or cream of choice for serving (optional)
Instructions
    Option 1: Dump & Go
  1. 1
    Add all the incidents with exception to milk/cream into slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
  2. 2
    Blend with an immersion blender, blender or food processor for smooth texture ( I do about half).
  3. 3
    Before serving stir in coconut milk or cream of choice and add any suggested toppings.
    4. Option 2: Stove Top
  4. 4
    Sauté aromatics (everything but the legumes of choice, broth, milk/cream, squash, and peanut butter).
  5. 5
    Once onions and carrots soften stir in peanut butter with 1 cup of broth. Stir until incorporated.
  6. 6
    Next add the squash and let cook for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally.
  7. 7
    Next add lentils and remaining broth and bring to a simmer.
  8. 8

    At this point you can place it in a slow cooker to finish for 6 hrs on low or 4 hours on high. Second option is to finish on the stove top on a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.

  9. 9
    Blend with an immersion blender, blender or food processor for smooth texture (I do about half).
  10. 10
    Before serving stir in coconut milk or cream of choice and add any suggested toppings.
Read it online: https://twinkletoestastings.com/recipe/spicy-sweet-heart-warming-butternut-squash-curry-in-an-hour/