Thai Butternut Squash and Corn Bisque |
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Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 80 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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The flavors of this soup are amazing–it is somewhere between the tangy-spicy herbal flavor of Tom Kha Gai and the best butternut squash or sweet potato soup you have ever had with a little Thai curry mixed in for fun. It is spicy, sweet, tangy and rich all at the same time without being heavy or overly filling. And it's vegan. How can it be velvety smooth without much in the way of rich coconut milk and absolutely no cream? It was the addition of the potato that does it. This is a trick she learned when she was cooking for vegan clients as a personal chef. A good creamy boiling potato like a Red Bliss or Yukon Gold will thicken soups and make them velvety smooth if they are pureed, all without adding fat or any dairy products at all. Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk |
2 cups vegetable stock |
2 stalks lemongrass (lower third of stalks only, cut into two pieces each and lightly crushed with the back of your knife) |
2 slices galangal, each cut in half (fresh or frozen) |
2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen) |
1 teaspoon thai red curry paste |
1/4 teaspoon paprika (spanish smoked) |
2 lbs butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into medium-sized cubes) |
1 sweet potato (medium sized, peeled and cut into similarly sized chunks to the butternut squash) |
1 yukon gold potato, medium (peeled and cut into the same size cubes and chunks as the sweet potato and squash) |
1 onion (small, peeled and quartered) |
3 garlic cloves, large peeled |
1 1-inch slice ginger, peeled cut into thin slices |
2 cups corn kernels, frozen and roasted |
thai soy sauce |
fresh lime juice |
cilantro leaf |
sliced fresh thai red chili pepper (to garnish) |
sliced scallion top (to garnish) |
smoked spanish paprika (to garnish) |
Directions:
1. Put the coconut milk and stock in a medium sized pot and add the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Add the Thai red curry paste and paprika, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 1/2 hour while you prepare the other ingredients. After the half hour is up, add the vegetables, garlic and ginger (but not the corn kernels) and cook over low heat until the vegetables are fully cooked and soft, but not falling apart.
2. Remove about a cup to a cup and a half of the liquid and set aside. Remove the galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves and discard. Puree the rest of the ingredients right in the pot, and add back some or all of the liquid you set aside. Stir n the corn kernels and season to taste with soy sauce or fish sauce. Turn off heat and add lime juice to taste, then garnish with the cilantro leaves and sliced chilies and scallion tops.
3. Makes enough to feed four adults as a main dish with a salad and a bread, or enough for eight first course portions.
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