I like incorporating simanim into my Rosh HaShanah meals. This soup includes three of them: squash, dates and pomegranates. I was inspired by a Sephardi baked squash recipe but wanted to make a soup. The coconut milk gives it sort of an exotic feel. It’s rich without being heavy and it’s gluten-free and vegan.
Roasted Butternut Squash Coconut Soup
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 whole medium-sized butternut squash
- 2 whole red onions chopped
- 2 whole garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking spray
- ¼ cup date syrup to taste depending on sweetness
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses optional and to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Salt pepper to taste
- 1 32-ounce box unsweetened coconut milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place butternut squash on sheet and bake for an hour until soft and skin appears lightly browned and carmelized. When cool enough to handle, cut in half, scoop out seeds and peel.
- Mash flesh in a soup pot. Set aside.
- While squash is roasting, spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. You could also use olive oil, which adds to the flavor if you prefer.
- When pan is hot but not smoking, add chopped red onion. Let onion sweat and cook until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until it just begins to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Set soup pot over a medium-low heat. Add garlic and onions to squash in soup pot. Mix thoroughly.
- Add in cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, date syrup and pomegranate molasses, if using.
- Add brown sugar if you’d like additional sweetness. Taste to adjust spices/sweetness to your taste. Stir well.
- Slowly add in coconut milk and whisk to combine.
- Bring soup to boil then reduce heat to simmer, 15 minutes.
- If you prefer a more consistent texture, use an immersion blender to puree right in the soup pot.
This soup was very good, but I have a few comments. Because the the squash was roasted, the soup had a kind of stringy texture which some of my family members did not like. Also, I think the red onion flavor was too strong. I left out the brown sugar, and the soup was definitely sweet enough. It was very easy to make which was a plus. Not sure that I’d repeat this, but it was definitely enjoyable.
I used everything in the ingredients but the brown sugar we dont like a sweet meal. Since i didnt have the time i was not able tobring out the natural sweetness by roasting the butternut sq. I couldn’t find pomegranate syrupmso i reduced the hand squeezed pomegranate juice .i doubled the amount of spices.. This was a super yummy soup. It would be even better roasted. 🙂
I seem to gravitate to these recipes! The procedure here is easy and simple to make. What makes the soup outstanding is the flavoring! I will be using these combinations for other recipes I the future!