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Food for Thought Friday: soup season, part 2 - squash ginger coconut comfort soup
 
Then (November 2016)
And now (October 2021)


Hello and happy Friday!

It's another soup email (to follow up last week's minestrone) because I really love soup! And because this same soup recipe that I came up with in 2015 is STILL the first soup I always make when the weather turns chilly... I have to write about it again.

I had a pretty bad cold a few weeks ago and made this and it REALLY hit the spot. I also made the recipe in a lazier/slightly different way than usual and loved how it turned out! So I figure it's about time I update this recipe and publish it here for you!

A note about winter squash skins: to peel, or not to peel?

If you didn't know, many winter squash skins are delicious to eat - no need to peel! Other skins may be tough and you won't want to eat them. How to know what to do? Here are my thoughts...

Delicata squash has notoriously soft skin and can easily be eaten. Otherwise, I have found that it depends on several factors: the specific squash, how you're cooking it, when in the season you're eating it, how fresh it is, and your personal preferences.

Personally, in the soup below I most often use delicata squash, and I leave the skins on unless they seem REALLY tough and thick. At this time of year, early in the winter squash season, most skins will tend to be more tender and better to eat.

If I'm roasting squash in chunks, I'll most often leave the skin on, even it seems thick. Then when I roast it, if the skin gets soft, I'll eat it. If it's tough, I'll bite or cut around it and/or use it as a sort of crust or handle to dip my squash bites into a sauce.

I just took these honey nuts out of the oven and can report that their skins are quite tasty. I personally enjoy the textural contrast as well :) ...


On the other hand, if you're making a puree - ie, cutting the squash in half, roasting it, and then scooping out the soft, cooked insides, the skin is the perfect "container" to leave behind as you scrape out the soft bits.

My overall advice on squash skins is to:
  1. Experiment and discover what you like! If shopping at the farmers market, ask the the farmer whether or not they peel theirs!
  2. Tend towards leaving skins on earlier in the season (Sept-Dec), and then as the months progress (or if you leave your squash on the shelf for a loooooong while), you may lean towards peeling.
  3. Always use your individual judgment, and get a sense with your initial chopping of the squash; If it's very hard to slice through, you may want to peel those skins.
  4. Always cut off any knobby parts or barnacle-looking things - no one wants to eat those!

And now for my FAVORITE easy squash soup recipe - enjoy!

Cheers,
Jess


Squash Ginger Coconut Comfort Soup by Jessica Lioon // Garlic Press Jess
  • updated from my 2017 printed recipe calendar, original Hawaii version here (from 2015)
  • Takes 1-1.5 hours, makes a large pot of soup

Ingredients:
  • 1 large kabocha squash (about 36oz pre-cut butternut squash), or really any winter squash you like!
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1.5-inch knob of fresh ginger
  • large spoonful of coconut oil (or any fat) + salt/pepper
  • about 15-32 oz of full-fat coconut milk (depending how creamy you like it and how much you're making)
  • about 10 cups of water or any kind of broth
  • 1 can of chickpeas (can leave out if you don't like them)
  • 2 large handfuls chopped greens (dino kale or swiss chard are my favorites)
  • optional additions:
    • dash of turmeric and/or experiment with other spices!
    • herbs of your choice such as rosemary, sage, thyme, etc and/or fresh lemongrass

Instructions:
  1. If using kabocha/whole squash, wipe down squash with a damp towel. Remove any knobby, tough, or barnacle-looking parts on the skins (and any tough outer skin, if desired). Cut squash in half, remove seeds/stringy parts, and then cut into chunks, roughly 1-0.5 inch cubes. No need to be too exact with the sizes, it will cook down. I almost always leave the skins on, but do as you wish/depends what kind of squash you are using!  
  2. Roughly dice a small onion. Mince garlic and ginger.
  3. Heat a large spoonful of coconut oil (or other fat of your choice) in a dutch oven or large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Note/option: *Normally I add ginger here, but recently I forgot and added it after the coconut milk instead, which led to spicy pops of gingery bites throughout my finished soup, which I actually kind of loved! Just another option to think about!
  4. Allow onion/garlic mix to soften for a few minutes, toss to make sure it doesn't burn and add more oil if needed. Then add the squash chunks (and turmeric or other powdered spices here if using). Season with salt (and pepper if desired), toss to combine and allow to sizzle for a minute or so while you open the coconut milk.
  5. If making a big pot of soup, I generally use a 33oz carton of Aroy-D coconut milk (the CREAMIEST/my favorite!) for a nice, creamy soup, but you can use just one can if you prefer. Add coconut milk to the pot, followed by water/broth or a combination to fill up the pot as much as you'd like. (I've used just water, or all chicken broth, or all veggie broth, or a mix of all three. If using just water, I recommend a larger amount of coconut milk, and you may want to consider adding some turmeric for a bit more flavor and color!). If using fresh herbs, add those now, then put the lid on and bring up to a boil (takes 10-15 mins).
  6. When boiling, turn down to medium-low/a strong simmer, and allow to bubble away lightly for about 25-45 minutes until the squash has softened. Stir periodically to check on it, and gently mash pieces of the squash as it softens so that it blends into the soup. After about 25 minutes or when the squash has mostly softened, add the chickpeas if using (you can add the liquid from the chickpeas as well - it will help thicken the soup) and give it a good stir.
  7. Put a few spoonfuls of the soup in a small bowl for tasting. While your tasting bowl cools, wash the greens and chop into thin ribbons.
  8. Now taste your cooled "sample" and adjust salt/pepper/spices as you wish.
  9. Finally, just before serving, add greens to the soup. Cook for an additional 1-3 minutes until the greens are softened and bright green. Serve and enjoy!




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Hi, I'm Jess! I help health-conscious, busy people transform their cooking from chore to lifestyle through intuitive cooking, which I teach through online classes, free content, coaching and more. This is my newsletter, Food for Thought Fridays, where I share highly actionable tips and inspiration to help you cook more intuitively (which makes cooking feel easier and SO much more fun!). Once a month, I share a recipe that's really worth making, and I only share those with my email subscribers. Sometimes the text above may include affiliate links, meaning (at no additional cost to you) I get a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me to continue to share free content, so I would love it if you buy through my link! Thank you for supporting Garlic Press Jess!

    I currently work + live on land that is the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. And I can't wait to eat at Cafe Ohlone when they reopen someday! Check out this article about them.


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