Velvety Coconut Soup

I love making soups for so many reasons! They are a great comfort food and I love making something that I can eat on several occasions.  I invested in some great corning ware containers that have good lids on them so when I make a batch of soup I will freeze some.  This way on days when I am not in the mood to pack a lunch or if I don't have the time to make a meal I can just grab one out of the freezer.  My husband will often take a couple to keep stashed in his work freezer for when he forgets his lunch.

This recipe is from a cookbook a friend gave me and so I made a point of choosing a recipe to cook from it when I had her over for dinner.  It was amazing fresh and when I ate some of the leftovers the next day it had a richer flavour to it.

Velvety Coconut Soup

1/2 butternut squash 

2 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 medium onion, diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger

1 tsp butter

1 apple peeled and diced

1 cup coconut milk

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Scoop out the strings and seeds of the butternut squash.  Brush the squash with oil and place garlic inside.  
3. Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until very tender.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion and ginger in butter over medium heat.  Add apple to the mixture and simmer for a few minutes.
5. Scoop out the cooked flesh of the butternut squash and mash with a fork. Add to saucepan
6. mix together the coconut milk and chicken stock.  Pour into the saucepan.
7. Season with salt, pepper and cardamom.
8. Simmer soup for about 15 minutes.