Curry Peanut Heirloom Winter Squash Soup

Fall starts on September 1 for me. I’m not at all concerned about what a calendar developed years ago tells me. I’m not waiting several more weeks to embrace the season. 

I know you are saying – I’m not ready, I love summer, it’s still hot. Believe me, it’s not lost on me. It’s 99 here. 

Fall is a state of mind. And if you are a fall baby, like I am, you are enjoying fall in your head weeks before everyone else catches up. 

Another factor is that all the delicious fall things have started to show up around here. Namely, winter squash.

I found this beautiful heirloom butternut squash at the market a couple weeks ago. A little web research tells me that it is a Sucrine Du Berry squash, a French variety. I think. Let me know if it looks like something else to you. It’s very small and the bright orange inside is creamy and sweet when cooked. 

It made the best heirloom winter squash soup. My first winter squash soup to ring in fall 2018!

I added a secret ingredient to this one that is going to be a staple from here on out. 

I love the flavor of peanut. I’m just not all that into adding peanut butter to everything. Especially if it is sweetened. With a sweet squash, it’s just too much. 

The solution? Peanut flour or peanut powder. I’ve written about the different varieties of peanut flour before and you can use any of those. I’m finding it at a regular supermarket these days. Just make sure it isn’t peanut butter powder with sugar added. You just want the peanut powder or flour, maybe with salt if that’s all you can find. 

It makes the soup nutty and creamy without becoming too sweet. 

I went straight for the hot curry powder for this one, but use a mild one if you prefer. Garnished with finely chopped peanuts, it made a great lunch…if I ignored the temperature outside.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 cup winter squash puree (about 1 small butternut squash)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock*
1 tablespoon peanut powder or flour (unsweetened)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Finely chopped salted peanuts for garnish

* You can add more stock once the soup is pureed if you prefer for it to be thinner. 

PREPARATION

Heat the oil over medium-high in a small soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften and begin to brown. Stir in the curry powder. 

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the puree. Add the stock and stir well. Stir in the peanut powder. Simmer on low, stirring often, for 5 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a blender to puree and return it to the soup pot. 

Return the soup to low heat. Add more stock if you desire a thinner soup. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped, salted peanuts.