roasted butternut squash soup with ginger, lime & coconut

+ all the things I'm *digging* this month

On Wednesday evening, while I sat on the couch and snuggled a sweet, sleeping baby, I saw via Instagram stories that all my farming friends had spent their days freezing and wrestling with frost cover to protect their veggies from the first hard frost in the forecast. HARD PASS.

In this season when I’m taking the fall “off” to focus on our new babe, I certainly miss being in the dirt everyday, but I absolutely do NOT miss dealing with the unending and soul-crushing task of covering/uncovering all the rows with covers once the first frost arrives.

A sea of frost cover (from last season)!

In a normal year, I’d still be on the hook to provide CSA boxes full of fall veggies for another 4 weeks, which would have meant another month of constantly checking/stressing over weather forecasts and fighting the wind to keep frost cover down with countless rocks and bricks (SO MANY ROCKS, SO MANY BRICKS).

So this season, I’ll just be over here, on my couch, sending all the warm vibes to every farmer and gardener out there who is doing the good lord’s work and braving frozen fingers to protect their crops as the temperatures drop. Good luck and godspeed friends! I’ll be back out there with you next year. :)

Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of hyper-seasonal fall recipes from around the internet to help you eat like a farmer:

• Cabbage and Sausage Casserole from Smitten Kitchen

• Homemade Miso-Squash Ramen via Epicurious

• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Soy Caramel a la Bon Appetit

• 1-Pot Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry via Minimalist Baker

• Whole Roast Chicken with Carrots from Simply Recipes

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Also! It’s the first Friday of the month, which means I’m sharing my favorite things that I’m especially digging right now…

• Reading – Let’s be real.. with a 2 week old baby and rambunctious toddler underfoot, I’m not exactly reading many books at the moment. Instead, I’ve been enjoying shorter form writing by some fabulous female Substack writers... two favorites to note:

  It'll Be Fun, They Said
  a newsletter from Jess Pan, who writes the most witty and captivating stories from her life, mostly about her new job working at a tiny indie bookstore in London (her most recent essay was especially fabulous). I also love reading
  She Tried
  , a newsletter from one of my all time favorite writers/podcasters/humans (who I’ve never met), Nora McInerny. Nora is brutally (and beautifully) honest and irreverent in everything she does, and her “Sunday Dreads” email is something I look forward to reading every week.

• Watching – This is mildly embarrassing, but right now I’m obsessed with a show on Netflix called Muster Dogs. It’s about – stay with me here – five Australian livestock farmers who are each given a specially bred Kelpie puppy, and they’re tasked with training the pups into champion livestock herding dogs in just 12 months. (Totally normal, right?) It’s part reality competition show, part endearing Australian accents, part agriculture, part adorable puppies, and 100% guaranteed to melt your whole damn heart.

• Listening – You mean… what am I listening to besides 1989 (Taylor’s Version)?! I’ve also got Noah Kahan’s album on repeat, especially his new(er) songs, You’re Gonna Go Far and Call Your Mom.

• Wearing – Ha! Literally nothing aspirational to see here… these days I’m living in my ancient sweatpants and giant cozy sweaters that I’ve stolen from Matthew’s closet. On the rare occasions when I can sneak outside to work in the dirt, I’m most likely wearing these thermal overalls from Dovetail – they are THE best for working outside in the winter, and they strike just the right balance of being warm + cozy without feeling bulky.

Okay, your turn… what are YOU digging & cooking these days? Thoughts on anything I’ve shared today? Sound off in the comments. :)

Got some butternut squash laying around? Run, don’t walk, and MAKE THIS SOUP.

Today’s recipe for roasted butternut squash soup with ginger, lime & coconut is super straightforward, calls for easy-to-source pantry ingredients, and is packed with a shocking amount of flavor thanks to warming fall spices, zesty fresh ginger, bright lime juice, and cooling coconut milk.

And honestly? You don’t have to use butternut squash – most any kind of winter squash (kabocha, acorn, pumpkin, etc) will do the trick. Heck, you could even use sweet potatoes or carrots if that’s more your vibe… YOU DO YOU.

I know it’s *soup szn* and there are approximately 1 million butternut squash soup recipes floating around out there, but I have a feeling y’all are going to really love this one. :) Keep reading for the full recipe + a 1-page PDF for easy printing.

Happy cooking good looking!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger, Lime & Coconut

Serves 4-6

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Ginger, Lime & Coconut (printer Version)

46.4KB ∙ PDF file

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs butternut squash

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch (⅛ teaspoon) roasted red chili flakes

• 4 cups vegetable stock or water

• Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)

• 1 14-oz can full fat coconut milk

• ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

• Handful of fresh green herbs (basil, parsley, or cilantro), roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Peel 3lbs butternut squash and dice the flesh into ½” pieces. Toss the chopped winter squash directly on a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. 

3. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring at least once halfway through cooking, until the squash is very soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. While the butternut squash is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (at least 4-5 quart) soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes.

5. Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of red chili flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Add the cooked butternut squash, along with 4 cups vegetable stock or water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper.

7. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Stir in the juice of one lime and one 14-oz can of full fat coconut milk, and gently simmer for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in ½ cup fresh basil leaves.

9. Use a standing blender or an immersion blender to puree soup until velvety smooth.

10. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – you may want a bit more lime juice or salt. 

11. Ladle into bowls and garnish with some extra freshly chopped basil. This soup is also delicious topped with a dollop of plain yogurt or creme fraiche and some toasted pumpkin seeds.

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