This soup is in the same family as the last soup recipe I shared. They both use butternut squash as the primary ingredient and both use onions, vegetable broth and coconut milk. Where they differ is important. This recipe takes advantage of some really great tasting coconut flour along with a good amount of kale. Not that the previous recipe was any better or worse, I’d just say this one was rather awesome because I recently finished a big bowl of it and I now have a smile on my face.
The Recipe
After this soup is finished cooking, the kale is still somewhat firm. This is perfect because the crinkles and curls remain and are able to soak up some of the soup’s liquid. Luckily, this liquid has lots of flavor in it which makes everything worth eating.
This is a delicious soup. It’s right up there with some of the other greats I’ve shared on this blog. As the squash is simmered, it releases a lot of flavor into the rest of the ingredients. Also, this recipe takes advantage of some herbs and spices like thyme, sage and cinnamon. The garlic is great and the onion that’s softened with some salt, pepper and other ingredients is perfect. For a soup that really doesn’t take too much effort to prepare, I’d say this one’s a win.
Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Coconut Flour
7 Cups Vegetable Broth
3 Pounds Butternut Squash, Trimmed, Peeled, Cleaned and Cut into 1/2 Pieces
8 Ounces Kale, Stemmed and Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
1 15-Ounce Can Coconut Milk
1 Teaspoon Dried Sage
1 Teaspoon Coconut Sugar
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank America’s Test Kitchen for this recipe. I got it from their resources titled The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. I’d also like to mention that I changed up a few ingredients to prepare this soup gluten free. I understand that many folks are interested in this type of cooking, so I did away with the all-purpose flour and used coconut flour instead. To my surprise, the coconut version tasted incredible. Also, I swapped out the butter for olive oil and used cinnamon instead of nutmeg. Finally, I decided to go with coconut milk as opposed to heavy cream and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. By the way, if you’ve never tried coconut sugar, I encourage you to do so. It’s some gloriously sweet stuff.
Soften the Onion
Warm a large Dutch oven over medium heat on your stove top. When it’s to temperature, add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and chopped onion to it. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is softened. When that’s done, add in the 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, the garlic, thyme and cinnamon. Cook for another 2 minutes while stirring.
Add the Flour & Broth
Next, add the flour to the onion mixture. Stir it for a bit and allow to cook for approximately 2 minutes. The goal here is to lightly brown the flour, without burning it.
As a side-note here, I’d like to suggest that you pick up some of this coconut flour. You can use it in tons of recipes in the place of regular flour and it’s pretty healthy for you. It also has a nice coconut flavor, which is a bonus.
Anyway, next, slowly add in the broth and increase the heat to high.
Stir well until the liquid comes to a boil.
Add in the Butternut Squash
When the liquid comes to a boil, add in the butternut squash. Again, bring the liquid to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let cook for 15 minutes. During this time, the squash will soften and the flavors will come together.
Stir in the Kale
After 15 minutes, uncover the pot and add the kale to the mixture. Stir it in well and then cover the pot again. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
After that time, remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
Add Remaining Ingredients
Once the heat has been turned off, go ahead and uncover the pot and add in the coconut milk, sage and the sugar. Mix everything well until the flavors have been combined and the coconut milk is completely melted into everything else.
Divide & Serve
Scoop some of the finished chowder out of the pot and into individual bowls. If you want, you can add salt and pepper to taste. You can even add more cinnamon if you desire. I didn’t add anything else to this soup because it was perfect that way it was made. I was very pleased with it.
The Final Chowder
Hands down, this was a winning chowder. I highly encourage you to give it a try. It’s filling, creamy and definitely hits the spot.
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