We’re going out to dinner tonight at a local Thai place with a couple I met on Twitter. She’s @spunfairyfloss. I love the name and it’s pretty obvious what they do for a living. They have been really friendly to me. They’re both food lovers who really enjoy Yummy Thai and John and I have never been there.
I love Thai food and I’ve been sitting here thinking, “how can I eat like Lorraine from NotQuiteNigella.com?” who despite being the size of a pixie orders one of everything. I’ll bring a camera but I don’t know what their rules are. If it’s okay I’ll share. I’ve never done a restaurant post. I’m such a blog virgin and with a name like mine I certainly can’t admit to being a virgin at anything!
Folks, I’ve been around for a long (long) time and I’ve eaten a shedload of butternut pumpkin/squash soup and this is my all-time favorite up til this moment. I asked for two butternut pumpkins when the mister went off to the supermarket thinking he’d get the small ones we always buy. No sir or ma’am, these were the size of volkswagens.
I cooked some as a vegetable with last night’s dinner and I still had some left so I made some pumpkin and cashew dip. I still haven’t made crackers but I did make garlic pita chips to eat the dip with. Crackers ARE coming. Working on my cracker bravery.
Guess what? I still had plenty of butternut left. As I was enjoying my dip I thought, wonder if this combination would work as a soup? You’ve got to try this. It’s delicious. Seriously. The only one who didn’t like it was the dog. He’s not fond of ginger but don’t let that stop you from trying this yourself. Finally, because I still had more butternut left, I roasted some with some heads of garlic to make pumpkin and roasted garlic risotto for tomorrow night’s dinner (and then I’ll make arancini out of the leftovers!).
I made the soup in my Thermomix but it would be just as simple to make it in a pot then puree it in a blender or use a wizzy stick. It took less than 30 minutes to make this soup. I had some frozen rolls and I took them out to thaw while I made the soup. I also chopped and roasted the butternut along with two heads of garlic for tomorrow night’s risotto. I got it all done at the same time so tomorrow night I just have to grate the cheese, cook the risotto and dinner’s done.
In a perfect world I would have used raw cashews but alas, all I had were roasted salted nuts. Not to worry, I tossed them into a strainer and rinsed them off. Nearly raw, okay not raw at all but they didn’t have any extra salt on them. Nothing is worse than making soup and finding it’s too salty. Then it’s back to the stove and the raw potato thing to pull out the salt. Better to get the seasoning right the first time.
I garnished the soup with a tiny bit of cream and a few slices of green onion tops but next time I would add a few roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves as well.
If you like butternut and cashews, this is the soup for you. Now this is an off the cuff sort of recipe so feel free to make it yours by adding different spices or herbs. It won’t be the same soup but you will be happy.
- 800 grams (about 1½ pounds)
- ½ small onion chopped
- 1 cup cashews (if they're salted, wash the salt off)
- 2 cloves of garlic - chopped finely
- 2½ cm (1") piece of peeled fresh ginger chopped
- 750 ml (2⅓ cups) stock (vegetable or chicken - I used a combination of both)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- In a large pot, saute onion til it's translucent
- Add all the other ingredients to the pot and cook on medium high heat for 20 - 25 minutes until the butternut is tender.
- Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.
- Puree in batches in the blender or use a stick blender.
- Garnish and enjoy
I bet that tasted good. I love Cashews, so I must love this too 🙂 Will find the time to try this out soon.
Love the cashews in this! Should give the soup a delicious texture!
I made this great dip with mashed squash, Moroccan spices, cashews and parmesan and loved it. I wasn’t sure I’d like it as a soup but it was worth the effort. I love it.
Love your soup terrine. What beautiful presentation. Butternut pumpkin soup is such great comfort food and right now, we certainly have the weather for it xx
It’s a gorgeous day on the Sunshine Coast today. Shorts and bare feet are the attire around this house. I’m still going to eat this soup for lunch!
I can only imagine how nutty and flavorful this soup is. I’m a big fan of butternut squash. I usually plant some in my garden. I am definitely saving this recipe for future reference! Thanks Maureen 🙂
This sounds really flavorful! I haven’t had too many butternut soups but this definitely looks like one to try!
it’s really good, you should try it. It’s on the sweeter side for a soup and it’s perfect for dunking a roll in. 🙂
I love both of those things, and would have never thought to combine them. Looks like a healthy and tasty soup.
Sounds terrific. Butternut squash makes a terrific soup (all the squashes do). Ginger? Cashews? Yes, please. Really a nice recipe. And an exceptionally fun post to read. Thanks.
You have some exciting flavores going on here Maureen. I have never had buttenut (dont laugh!) but I imagine it like a pumpkin if that is correct. cashew is my favourite nut, we just freshly roasted some 2 days back. With ginger and garlic a must try!
with raw cashewnuts u ment the plain unsolted ones right?
Plain unsalted or unsalted and unroasted would work.
Now about this butternut. I use the word butternut because in Australia it’s called a pumpkin but every American knows it as a winter squash. So to keep everyone on board about what we’re talking about, I just called it butternut. 🙂
Here’s a link to a blog with a photo.. you’ll get the idea. http://cheekychicago.com/butternut-squash-frie/
We love Thai food, and I love butternut squash…think I might try this one out on my family see if I can get them to love squash with me!
Oh I love the look of this!So vibrant and delicious looking.Very exciting combinations here with the addition of ginger and cashews!Have to try it 🙂
Maureen, not one but three great dishes from a simple little squash! All Cinderella did with hers was turn it into a carriage. She could learn from you girl!
Lovely, lovely soup and even better, ready in a flash. Great photos too!
Hester, I love you to bits. I always thought of myself as Cinderella as a kid. My sister was older and she got to go out with my parents and I had to stay at home. I started calling myself Cindy. LOL I was 7.
You are quite the gourment, this one sounds heavenly …. amazing flavors here! Thanks for the visit… 🙂 have a great rest of your week!
This soup looks amazing! All the flavors sound wonderful together! And it looks like you have a great plan for all your butternut squash. So many delicious sounding dishes!!
When it comes to butternut squash, there is no limit to all the wonderful creations you can make with it. In my book it reigns over pumkin or any other squash! The soup looks delicious and I am sure putting it in a risotto will be just as tasty.
Cool that you met someone on twitter that you can meet in person. Sounds like a fun evening is ahead-enjoy!
We had the best time! I’m so glad they invited us. The food was really good.
aaah i can nearly smell it!
We have soup everyday for dinner but since the cook makes dinner, he creates his own menu daily unless told otherwise. There are days when no one comes close to the soup!
This would be a great soup to have instead of the usual, tomato soup, broccoli soup, cream of mushroom soup, orzo & veggies soup & even the plain old butternut!
Thanks
Forget the soup, I’d like a cook please 🙂
I love Thai food! We haven’t found a great one in our new city yet, but there are still more to try 🙂
This soup looks wonderful!
This sounds WONDERFUL and I love your photos – how nice to have such lovely looking rolls in your freezer – I think I might want to raid it sometime 🙂
If that means you’re coming to visit, I’ll add more stuff to the freezer!
This sounds so amazing! I never would have thought to combine those ingredients
Maureen, love the flavors in this soup..I can imagine the soup has creamy & spicy taste from cashews & ginger! Lovely!
You made me laugh – me too, I always wonder how can I eat like Lorraine too! =D Hope you enjoyed at Thai restaurant. Thai food is one of my most favorite food and I even wish I lived in Thailand so I don’t have to pay expensive Thai food around here and enjoy it everyday…
Your butternut soup – cashew in it! That’s something new and it looks gorgeous. I am tired of making and drinking miso soup everyday. Haha!
The pumpkin soup looks very interesting with the cashew addition. Cashews are my favourite nuts in savoury dishes. I must admit I’m one of the rare people who are not fans of pumpkins and squashes, but as long as your soup contains ginger and cashews, I would love to at least taste it!
This soup looks wonderful Maureen! And we must go out for dinner sometime-when either of us are visiting the other’s city 😀
I love butternut squash soup and the addition of cashews make it look even better.
I love finding butternut soup recipes that are a little outside-the-box and this one sounds absolutely delicious!
This soup sounds and looks incredible! So many layers of great flavor, yum! Thanks for sharing! <3
Maureen, this is certainly orgasmic! What a fabulous combination and all presented in my favourite china. I think I’ve already told you this but we have the same Cornuccopia wedding china, except you got the soup terrine. Hubby wouldn’t let me and now he regrets it. Especially if he saw this recipe of yours!
Jill, I forgot that you have the same dishes I do. I love them. How I got mine is a long (but ridiculous) story. Husband likes white dishes so I bought white Wedgwood. He said, “You bought white Wedgwood?” I said, “You said you wanted white!!” He said, “That’s before I knew you were going to spend so much money.” So I got in the car and went back and bought another set. It was years ago before we got poor. 🙂
Spectacular. I still have a butternut squash hanging around from last winter. It needs a purpose soon. GREG
Oh this looks yummy! I have never tried this before but I think it might just be on my list to try now!!
This soup would definitely relax me into sleep – it looks warm, comforting and delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I think your off the cuff soup sounds terrific. I can’t wait to try it and will add the cilantro.
I love anything with butternut in it!!! Love your flavors, especially the nutty flavor from the cashews:-) I hope you had a lovely time meeting your twitter friend, love her twitter name too:-) Hugs, Terra
Maureen, this is totally orgasmic! I love soups made from any squash/pumpkin family.
Love butternut, can’t get enough of it. Last time I was in the market they had disappeared. Think they were bringing out the Spring veggies or something. How lucky to Lorraine and be able to eat like that be the size of a pixie. I’m not that fortunate. But I do love soup.
-Gina-
Sounds amazing, and I love your food styling!
This soup looks AMAZING and I totally cracked up with your line about not being able to admit being a virgin at anything 🙂
LOL lovely to see you here, Anna. Let’s be friends. 🙂
Your soup look smooth as silk and I am sure the flavors are excellent with the addition of ginger and cashews.
Butternut squash is one of my favorite so is cashew. Will be making this later when butternut squash is in season.
That’s a full bowl of deliciousness!! I want 🙂
This looks delicious. I am a big fan of Butternut Squash. We eat it often in soups, pasta dishes, risotto and other dishes! For soup, I usually make my Butternut with apple and hint of curry but I would love to try this one. I have never had cashews in a soup and would like to try it. Great creative mix of flavors! I still have a butternut I need to cook before we take out our stove for the month to remodel. I will try it soon, even though our weather is unseasonably warm here in Colorado. I could eat soup anytime!
Oh, wow! I adore cashews! We have a fabulous little shop that sells a gourmet “honey and cashew” popsicle, AMAZING. I am going to have to try this recipe when our weather gets a little cooler!
I’d love to cook this soup using my thermomix. Please can you post the instructions for the thermie!
Hi Sam,
It’s easy to make this soup in the Thermomix. I chopped the onion, ginger and garlic for about 5 seconds on speed 7. Add the butternut, cashews, salt, pepper and stock (or water and stock concentrate) and cook on 100 for 20 minutes.
Thanks for coming by!
this kind of soup it’s welcome in this time of weather, hot enough to keep you warm in this cold winter next to family