Cumin, turmeric, coriander, and paprika bring the heat, butternut squash brings the heft: this is the perfect soup for a cold winter’s night. (It will also add a golden glow to a holiday buffet table.) As if that weren’t enough, it’s the creation of a UMass Amherst alumna, celebrity chef Joanne Weir! We found the recipe in Vegetarian, part of the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library series, published 20 years ago.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 butternut (pumpkin) squash, about 1 1/4 lb (625 g), peeled, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
6 cups (48 fl oz/1.5 l) vegetable stock or water
salt or freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) plain yogurt
1/3 cup (1/2 oz/15 g) chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), including stems
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
To make:
In a 4-qt (4-l) soup pot over medium-low heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add squash, carrots, and sugar, and sauté, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, turmeric, and coriander, and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft, 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
Working with 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) of soup at a time, place in a blender and purée on high speed until very smooth and light, about 3 minutes. [You can use an immersion blender or a food processor for this step.] Transfer each batch to large saucepan. If soup is too thick, thin with a little water until it is the consistency of heavy cream.
Over medium-high heat, warm soup to serving temperature. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the water into yogurt until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir cilantro and lime juice into soup, mixing well. Ladle into warmed bowls and drizzle with yogurt. If you like, garnish with paper-thin lime slices and whole cilantro leaves instead of yogurt. Serve at once. Serves 4