Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I'm always looking for ways to feel warm, cozy, and relaxed in my home when the temperatures drop and daylight dwindles. It usually involves sweaters, blankets, hot tea, soup, and seasonally scented candles. Nothing out of the ordinary here, right? 

Of course, I crave these comforts most on days when life is crazy and time is scarce. So, I need shortcuts: Faster ways to make my house feel cleaner, cozier, and warmer. And I look for recipes that don’t require a lot of time, prep, or cleanup. This Curried Butternut Squash Soup, for example, is a lifesaver. 

On cold, crazy days, I like to fill my favorite soup bowl to the brim with this flavorful soup and curl up the sofa with a good podcast or my favorite food magazine. We don’t have a fireplace, but if we did, you can bet that would be going as well. 

I’d love to know what you do to make your home feel as cozy as possible during this time of year! I’m always up for new ideas. In the meantime, we had a lot of fun putting together this video for you - so you can see how truly easy and beautiful this soup is!

photo by TJ Turner Pictures

This post came together thanks to a wonderful team of people. Videography, still photos, and lots of patience by Martin and TJ. Art direction and sisterly giggles by Rebecca. 

Curried butternut Squash Soup

Makes 6 servings 

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35-40 minutes 

*Quick tip: buy pre-cut squash to really speed things up. 

• 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• additional curry/mustard powder to taste
• white pepper and salt to taste
• toppings: cilantro, lime juice, thinly sliced fresno chilis, and roasted cashews

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Put squash, onion, garlic and carrots on one or two large, rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, curry and mustard, and toss to coat. 
3. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender and golden brown on the edges. 
4. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add the chicken stock and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is smooth. 
6. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with desired toppings. 

photo by TJ Turner Pictures

Acorn Squash Polenta + Coconut & Spiced Brown Butter

I have a husband who doesn't like potatoes. To be more accurate, he will eat them but probably won't enjoy them very much. After growing up in a household where meat and potatoes happened weekly, mostly because my dad loved anything if it ended with "and potatoes", this has been quite an adjustment for me. On the plus side, it's given me a good reason to think of new, creative side dishes to serve in place of the humble potato. This acorn squash polenta is a new favorite at our house that works perfectly for the holiday season.  The coconut milk adds a little something new to a dish filled with traditional flavors and the spiced butter drizzled over the top makes it super special and festive.

Butter has a way of doing that to things.

We are having a small Thanksgiving dinner this year. We are making one last pre-baby visit to Crested Butte, where we will roast a turkey breast (recipe for that coming tomorrow!), drink hot apple cider, and hopefully watch snow fall while sitting in front of a cozy fireplace. It's going to be wonderful to have some quiet time in the mountains after what has been a month or two of insanity. It's funny how life just tends to throw all the things at you in a very concentrated amount of time, isn't it?

Not only will it be nice to unwind and refocus, it will also be wonderful to take one last trip together before our lives change dramatically. The closer we get to welcoming baby #2 into the world, the more acutely aware I am that our days as a family of 3 are quickly drawing to a close. I'm both excited and scared about that. There are so many things that I feel like we just figured out about being parents. I suppose the good news is that we have all survived and most likely will the second time around. Right? That plus we get to increase the amount of people to love in our lives. That's going to be the best thing ever. Plus the baby snuggles. I'm banking on this one being a snuggler since our oldest never has been.

Other things that will be happening in Crested Butte: lots of Christmas music, sledding with daddy (don't worry, I'll be sitting out this year lest I be confused for a ginormous snow ball rolling down the hill), and lots of good food. I'm especially excited about the Crack Fries at Secret Stash. Yes.

No matter what you are doing for Thanksgiving, I know this acorn squash polenta will be a hit! It's easy and fast to make and can feed small or large groups easily.

Bonus: it's great leftover! Pile some in a bowl and top with your Thanksgiving leftovers in the days after the feast!

Acorn Squash Polenta with Coconut & Spiced Brown Butter

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Notes: You can substitute pumpkin puree (homemade or canned) in this recipe. Just add 1 cup of the puree into the polenta.

• 1 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 12 oz can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups stone ground polenta (not instant)
• salt to taste
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• sage leaves for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the squash, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been drizzled with the olive oil. Move the squash halves around a bit to coat the cut sides with the oil. Roast 30-40 minutes or until easily pierced on the skin side with a knife.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash and puree with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the coconut milk and return to a simmer. Gradually whisk in the polenta to avoid clumping, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring often, until it begins to thicken. Cook about 15 minutes or until the polenta is tender. Stir the squash puree into the polenta and season to taste with salt.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter until it begins to turn golden brown and has a delicious, nutty aroma. Stir in the spices, remove from the heat, and let cool about 5 minutes.

Ladle the polenta into a large serving bowl and drizzle with the spiced brown butter. Garnish with sage leaves and serve immediately.

Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash with Chorizo

This will forever be the time of year that makes me miss Japan the most. Late October and all the way through December seemed to bring the most comfortable weather (for a Minnesotan, anyway) with clear blue skies and brilliantly colored leaves. For someone whose favorite season is fall, Tokyo was really the most amazing place to be. The Japanese Maples scattered about amongst shrines and in rare residential front and back yards became a fiery mix of red and orange and the gingko trees lining the streets were rich, vibrant yellow. I remember the gingko trees so clearly because they were especially bright the day we brought Riley home from the hospital in early December almost 2 years ago. We were sitting in a taxi, the driver was chatty but whispered so as not to wake the little person in the backseat, and I was gazing at the yellow leaves on the trees feeling free and terrified (mostly terrified) now that we were away from the hospital and my nurse call button.

Bringing Riley home was scary, but that taxi ride was peaceful.

Another reason I love fall is because it is finally cool enough to turn the oven on. Roasting vegetables, baking casseroles, and whipping up the occasional batch of cookies is something I look forward to all summer as I complain about the heat. I'm not a hot-weather bird.

The difficult thing about this time of year is that most of what I want to cook is not all that healthy. So, I have to come up with dishes that satisfy my desire for comfort food but are also kind to my waistline. This spaghetti squash dish is perfect that way. It's full of flavor with a warm, cheesy topping that brings all the comfort I need. It's nearly a one pot meal and is largely hands-off, which is perfect for busy nights.

If you're not into the chorizo idea, you can stir the squash with a little marinara or bolognese and top it with mozzarella instead of the Monterey Jack. You can also dress it up by adding some chopped kale, chard, spinach, sliced mushrooms- anything you want!

There are a lot of possibilities with this dish so think about your favorite noodle recipe and see if you can adapt it to work here.

Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash with Chorizo

Ingredients

• One 3lb spaghetti squash
• 1/2 a yellow onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• 1/2 pound chorizo, removed from casing
• 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on a sheet pan.
3. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center.
4. Place the squash halves cut side down on the oiled pan. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until the squash is tender and shredded easily.
5. Meanwhile, in a large, heat proof skillet (cast iron works great), heat the remaining oil over medium heat.
6. Add the onions and garlic and cook until just softened.
7. Add the chorizo and stir to break it up and cook it through, about 2 or 3 minutes.
8. Add the spaghetti squash and stir to combine it with the sausage mixture and to heat it through, about 1 minutes.
9. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
10. Sprinkle the squash with the cheese and place it under the broiler in your oven until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
11. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

Notes

Serve this with sour cream and green chile salsa or any of your favorite Mexican food add-ons.