I've made many versions of butternut squash soup, but this is my favorite, so brightly flavored with Indian spices that I can imagine I'm somewhere in south India, spooning up the soup as part of a delicious vegetarian lunch.
Don't be put off by the unfamiliar spice radhuni. A friend sent me a packet from an Indian shop in Jackson Heights, New York, so I've been experimenting with the tiny seeds in soup, rice and other dishes.
Celery seed is an excellent substitute, because radhuni tastes a little like celery blended with cumin, and both of these are in the soup already.
A glowing orange as if to match the intensity of the spices, this soup makes a fine first course. But if I were really in south India, I would probably copy local custom and mix it with a plateful of rice.
ROASTED SQUASH SOUP WITH INDIAN SPICES
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks
¼ pound carrots (2 small), peeled and cut in chunks
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
¼ pound roma tomatoes
Olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon radhuni seeds or celery seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon hot red chili powder
2 stalks celery, trimmed and sliced crosswise
4 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
Finely chopped celery for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash and carrot chunks, the bell pepper quarters and whole tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat lightly with olive oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and cool slightly. Peel the bell pepper quarters. Peel the tomatoes and cut out the cores.
Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. While they cook, add the coriander, turmeric, radhuni or celery seeds, cumin seeds and red chili powder and stir to blend.
Add the squash, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes and celery and mix with the spices. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in a blender or with a blender wand.
Serve at once or, for best flavor, let stand overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat just before serving. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with finely chopped celery.
Makes 6 servings.
Recent Comments