Another [picture-less] Recipe

Is winter squash soup an original idea? Hell no. Is it delicious? Why yes, yes it is. And perfect for winter. What I made was butternut squash Thai red curry soup, which was so, so, so delicious. But the fantasmic thing about this recipe is that it's versatile beyond belief:

It can be made from any winter squash (butternut, acorn, many other varietals, even pumpkin)
It can be made with any type of curry (Indian varietys, Thai red, green, etc.)
The root vegetables options are endless and, well, totally optional!


Emily's Incredibly Flexible Winter Squash Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs winter squash (it was a butternut squash for me)
Root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, turnips, radishes, rutabagas, potatoes - maybe about 1/4-1/2 lb?
1 onion, diced
As much garlic as you want! (I'm sure I did no less than 4 cloves), minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable/chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp - 2 tbsp curry powder or paste
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds. Rub cut sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on cookie sheet cut-side down. Cube up whatever root vegetables of your choice into equal sized pieces. Place on a second cookie sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, until fully coated. Place both pans in the oven and roast for anywhere from 30-45 minutes, until fork tender. The root vegetables should be stirred maybe every 15 minutes, but the squash are fine as is.

While they're roasting, saute the onion in a heavy 3qt pot with, yet again, olive oil salt and pepper. Keep the heat low-medium. Once nicely softened, even a bit caramelized, add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add the tomato paste and curry powder/paste and cook another minute or so. In regards to the amount of curry, if you're not afraid of heat and flavor, I would start with 1 tbsp. If you're fearful, you can use less and add more at the end to taste.

Add the stock and half of the coconut milk to the pot. The roasting should be done - scoop the flesh out from the peeling and into the pot, along with the root vegetables. Bring to a boil and then let everything simmer together for 20 minutes. Once simmered, puree in a blender/food processor or in the pot with an immersion blender. Taste after it's blended - adjust as desired curry, red pepper, salt, etc. When serving, add more coconut milk to the top of each bowl as desired for one more final, creamy touch. Feel free to top with roasted squash/pumpkin seeds, bacon, the options are endless. Enjoy!