Winter Squash Soup with Garam Masala and Coconut Milk
Pre-spring is a strange time of year for vegetables, particular with this unseasonably warm weather we're having in the Northeast: The sun is shining, it's nearly 70 degrees, and the local vegetable choices at the farmers' market are limited to apples, potatoes, carrots, and winter greens like kale.
Before the early summer crops start to flow in, I want to enjoy the last of the squashes and root veggies in ways that feel lighter and more appropriate for the weather. This soup is just that. It packs in a lot of flavor, allows the winter squash to shine, and, being vegan, won't weigh you down. The coconut milk brings out the sweetness of the squash and the depth of the spices in the garam masala. (If you like meaty flavor, you can substitute chicken broth for the water and heavy cream for the coconut milk.)
LEFTOVER TIP: I ate this dish as a soup the first day, then reduced it the next day into a thick stew that I served with rice and sauteed greens.
For 4 hearty servings (about 4 cups of thick soup, more if you add extra liquid) you will need:
- A 2-lb winter squash. I used kabocha, a dark green japanese squash with a sweet orange flesh. Butternut and acorn are good too. If you want to save time and buy cleaned and peeled butternut, you'll only need 1 1/2 pounds.
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2" fresh, ginger, peeled and grated on the course side of a box grater, or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala powder, a complex Indian spice mix containing cardamon, clove, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard seed, mace, fennel, ginger, star anis, bay leaf, and nutmeg in various proportions depending on where you get it. Nowadays it's available in many regular supermarkets, as well as Indian groceries.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (regular or light; you can also use heavy cream)
- Water (for meaty flavor, use broth, about 2 cups)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Directions:
Peel the squash with a sharp vegetable peeler, halve, scoop out the seeds and strings with a large spoon, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the squash, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until the cubes pierce easily with a sharp knife. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan (with a stainless steel interior, not a nonstick) heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low, and caramelize, watching carefully and scraping the pan every minute or so, for about 25 minutes, until the onions are medium brown but still firm, and not burnt. (Caramelizing will give you a rich, sweet flavor. If you want to save time and prefer a lighter flavor, you can skip this step. Simply sweat the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. You'll want to finely chop them if you skip the caramelization.)
When the onions are ready, add the celery, garlic, and ginger. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, until the celery begins to soften. Add the garam masala powder and bay leaf and toast for about a minute, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently. Then deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water.
In a soup pot over high heat, add the onion mixture, cooked squash, two cups of water or broth, and 1 teaspoon of salt, less if you're using salted broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered to concentrate the flavor, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mash with a potato masher to break apart any large pieces of squash. You can also puree with an immersion blender if you like a smooth soup, but I like leaving the soup chunky to experience the different flavors and textures of the ingredients.
Stir in the coconut milk or cream and about 1/2 cup water, more if you like a looser soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with papadums, also called papad, an Indian cracker bread made from chickpea flour that comes in many flavors. They look like dry tortillas, and you toast them in a toaster oven or in a dry skillet over a low flame for a few seconds until they brown lightly and bubble up. You can buy them at any Indian grocery. In New York I get them at Dual Specialty at 91 1st Avenue, between 5th and 6th Streets, in the East Village.