What’s for Dinner? Spicy Butternut Soup: Day 1 Soup 2

So, as you already know, my sister and I have decided to go on a soup diet. Nope, this is not a diet. We are still munching on our Lay’s chips and enjoying piping hot kachoris and samosa (well, at least I am).

But my logic is simple. I am having soups for lunch and dinner simply so that I can binge on all my favourite things in between meals. After all, just imagine my figure post-quarantine if I continue bingeing on those favourites along with having my regular heavy meals for lunch and dinner. So consider it a kind of ‘compensation’ diet really. For a foodie like me, that’s the only kind of diet really!

As most of the soups I make are quick and easy, this Spicy Butternut Soup Recipe is a delight for those who prefer to spend the bare minimum of their time in the kitchen. So here’s how you can make my spicy butternut soup, or rather Soup 2 from Day 1 of our 10 Day, 20 Soups Challenge!

Spicy Butternut Soup Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1 soup-sized butter squash, diced in half-inch squares

1 small onion roughly chopped

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 sprig of thyme

1 pinch oregano

1 to 2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp cooking oil of your choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Butternut Soup Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the roughly chopped onion and garlic. Keep the flame medium-low so as to not burn the garlic or brown the onion.  Add the thyme, oregano and chilli flakes and stir well. Once the onion has softened, add the diced butternut squash pieces, salt and pepper. Pour 4 to 5 cups of boiling hot water and cook the squash on medium-high flame. Be careful if you put on a lid since contents can overflow as the heat builds up. Stir occasionally.

Once the squash is cooked and soft, take the saucepan off the flame and let the contents cool down completely. Using a hand blender or a traditional blender, whisk the contents on high power till a rich, smooth, thick-soupy texture is achieved. Check that there are no lumps of unblended pieces. Transfer the pureed mixture back to a saucepan and bring to boil. Check for the spiciness and seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve hot.