Roasted Squash Soup with Coconut Milk Recipe

Turk's turban and butternut squash are two distinctive varieties of winter squash, each with its own unique appearance, flavour, and culinary uses. Both belong to the Cucurbita family but are quite different in shape and taste, making them versatile additions to the kitchen during the colder months.

Turk's turban squash is known for its striking, ornamental look, resembling a brightly coloured turban with its bulbous bottom and protruding top cap. Its skin features a mix of vibrant hues—ranging from orange, green, and red, often with creamy white streaks. Despite its odd appearance, Turk's turban has a mild, nutty flavour, though it is less sweet than other squashes. The flesh is dense and slightly dry, making it suitable for roasting or stuffing. While it is edible, Turk's turban is often used as a decorative piece during fall due to its eye-catching form.

On the other hand, butternut squash is one of the most popular and versatile types of squash, easily recognizable by its smooth, bell-like shape and pale orange skin. Inside, it has a sweet, rich, and nutty flavour, similar to sweet potatoes or pumpkin, which becomes even more pronounced after roasting. Its velvety, moist texture makes it ideal for soups, purees, and roasted dishes. Butternut squash is also packed with nutrients like vitamins A and C, making it not only a delicious but also a healthy option in various recipes.

We grow both on the allotment, because they keep well through the winter and we love then roasted and they make the most amazing soups!

This is our Roasted Squash soup with coconut milk recipe and its such a lovely one for the winter and it freezes well. It has a gentle Indian flavouring to it that's very subtle but of course you can always spice it up more if you like!

1 large butternut or Turks Turban squash

1 sweet potato

3 or 4 garlic cloves

Olive oil

1 Sweet onion

1 Tin of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of Turmeric

2 teaspoons of Garam Masala

1 dessert spoon of freshly grated Ginger

Chicken or vegetable stock

Seasoning

Peel and cube one large butternut or Turks turban squash ( or a mix of both) and place in to a baking tray, add one sweet onion quartered and the garlic cloves unpeeled and the sweet potato peeled and chopped into large cubes. Toss in olive oil and roast for about 30 mins at 180c. Turning about half way through. This part can be done in a air fryer! you need it to slow roast but not burn. If the garlic cloves are small, add them half way through the cooking time.

Into a large pan add the turmeric, ginger and garam masala, add olive oil and on a medium heat cook the spices a little to release the flavours.

Add the roasted veg to the pan and add enough of the stock, to cover the veg and give it a quick stir , season and pop the lid on and bring it to a slow simmer for 10 to 15 minutes .

Using a stick blender blitz until smooth and then add in the coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes on a low heat ( don't let it boil) taste and add more seasoning if needed and enjoy.

It goes very well with crusty freshly baked sour dough and lashings of butter!