This buttercup squash soup is the answer to a chilly autumn evening. A little spicy, a lot warming, and so comforting. This soup is my new fave for fall.
It’s got lean ground turkey as a topping because not only for added protein, but for the pleasant texture it provides. This makes a big batch of soup. For my family of boys that means it lasted about two days, but if you’re making it for one or two people, the leftovers will freeze easily to use later on a busy night when you don’t have time to cook.
There are couple of steps required for this soup, so I’d categorize it as a weekend meal rather than a quick weeknight meal, but the leftovers you get will be worth taking the extra time!
Ingredients:
- 1 buttercup squash, halved and seeded
- 1 package lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2-4 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 – 3 tbsp green curry paste
- 1/2 tsp fine ground sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 medium potato, chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can coconut milk
- the juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Roast the squash:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub a little bit of olive oil on the insides of the squash halves, and place the squash, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Roast until tender enough to be pierced with a fork, about 35-40 minutes.
Cook the turkey:
About 10 minutes before the squash is fully cooked, prepare the ground turkey. It a large skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, one of the crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp ginger powder, and 1 tsp garlic powder, plus sea salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well, and continue to move around the pan, cooking until the turkey is browned, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
To make the soup:
- In a large soup pot, heat 1-2 tbsp avocado oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5ish minutes, then add the rest of the crushed garlic, 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp ground turmeric, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute.
- Add in the green curry paste and stir again until well combined, and then add the chopped potato.
- Next, pour the broth into the pot, stir to combine all the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until potato pieces are tender.
- When squash has finished roasting, remove it from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes so it’s cool enough to touch. Scoop out the inside and add the squash to the soup stirring to combine.
- Either transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until completely smooth, or use an immersion hand and blend the soup blender in the pot as I did.
- If using a blender, pour the soup back into the pot, and add all the coconut milk and juice the lime right into the soup. Stir again until well combined.
- Serve the soup hot.
- Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro, and then place a serving of ground turkey into each bowl.
This soup is so satisfying and warming on a chilly fall or even winter night! I’d love to know if you make it.
