Indian-Inspired Butternut Squash Bisque
Indian-Inspired Butternut Squash Bisque
(A mash up Thanksgiving leftovers and fun travel souvenirs!)
You know those nights when you open the fridge and realize you’ve got just enough leftover roasted butternut squash and carrots to do something, but not enough to stand alone? Yeah… that’s how this soup was born. And honestly, it turned into such a winner that now I make it on purpose.
This bisque is warm, fragrant, and silky without any oil at all — a perfect example of how whole-food ingredients and a little spice can totally transform a pot of “odds and ends” into something that tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did. My kind of cooking.
If you don’t have the exact Indian spices listed, don’t stress. Use what’s in your pantry. I picked these up from an Indian restaurant when I was out of town, and now I’m basically finding excuses to sprinkle them on everything.
Let’s get that pot going.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon each: madras curry powder, tandoori masala, garam masala*
1 butternut squash, chopped small (raw or leftover roasted)
4 carrots, chopped small (raw or leftover roasted)
4–5 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups cooked white beans (one 14-oz can), drained and rinsed
¼–½ cup coconut milk**
Juice of ½ lime
2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)
I grabbed these spices at a little Indian restaurant I visited out of town, feel free to use whatever curry spices you’ve got at home.
* Use coconut milk to your taste. Want to keep the fat lower? Sub regular plant-based milk and add a drop or two of coconut extract.
Directions
To a hot large pot or Dutch oven, add the yellow onion.
This is your oil-free sauté moment: let the onions cook on their own until they start to brown. If anything begins sticking, add a splash of water or broth to lift the flavor from the bottom, that’s where the real flavor is!
When the onions are golden and smelling amazing, stir in the shallots, garlic, and ginger.
Immediately add the madras curry powder, tandoori masala, and garam masala. Let the spices toast for about 30 seconds, just long enough for them to bloom and get fragrant, but not long enough to burn.
Add in the squash, carrots, and white beans, tossing everything until the veggies are coated in the spices.
Pour in the vegetable broth, cover with a lid, and let it simmer for about 25 minutes, or until everything is tender.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your preferred consistency. Keep it silky smooth or leave a few chunks, it’s your call.
Stir in the coconut milk, then finish with the lime juice and peas.
