Butternut Squash Curry Recipe
This butternut squash and chickpea curry recipe is amazing for warming up during the cooler months. Serve over rice for comfort in a bowl!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash diced into ¾-inch pieces (700 g, about 5 cups)
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 tsp mild yellow curry powder divided
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large shallot diced (50g, ½ cup diced)
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1- inch piece ginger grated
- 2 tbsp red curry paste 30 g
- 1 14 oz 398 mL can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 14 oz 400 mL can coconut milk
- 1-2 cups vegetable stock or water 250-500 mL
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari 15 mL
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar 15 g
- 1 540 mL 19 oz can chickpeas or 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 4 cups baby spinach 85 g
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- ½ lime juice
For serving
- cilantro
- cooked rice
- peanuts
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the Squash: Preheat the oven 400 F. Cut both ends off the squash, peel it, then cut in half crosswise so you have the top and bottom as two pieces. Slice each piece in half down the center vertically, so that you now have 4 pieces of squash. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp. Cut the squash into ¾-inch pieces.
- Roast Squash: Transfer squash to a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, then season with 1 tsp of the curry powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 24-28 min, stirring halfway, until tender and golden-brown. Roasting the squash caramelizes the natural sugars, intensifying the flavour.
- Saute Shallot: While the squash roasts, in a large pot, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the shallots. Cook for 3-5 min, stirring often, until tender.
- Add Ginger, Garlic & Spices: Add garlic, ginger, 1 tsp curry powder and curry paste. Cook for another 1-2 mins, stirring constantly, to toast the spices.
- Add Liquids & Chickpeas: Add tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and 1 cup of the broth, scraping bottom of the pot to loosen all the brown bits. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 12-15 mins, until slightly reduced.
- Optional - Blend Curry: If you'd like the curry to be thicker, scoop about 2 cups of the curry into a blender and add about 1 cup of the roasted butternut squash. Blend until smooth then pour back into the pot. You can also pulse an immersion blender in the pot a few times after adding the squash but before adding the spinach. This step is optional.
- Finish Curry: Add the spinach, soy sauce and coconut sugar. Cook for another 2-4 min, stirring occasionally, until spinach wilts and flavours are combined. Add the butternut squash, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Adjust the consistency with additional broth, if desired.
- Serve Curry: Divide curry between bowls alongside rice of choice. Top with remaining more cilantro, lime and peanuts, if desired.
Notes
To serve as a butternut squash curry soup, increase the broth to 4 cups. For varying thickness, you can use anywhere between 1-5 cups of broth. It's suggested to start with 1 cup of broth and slowly increase to reach your desired consistency. Note that the curry will thicken substantially after storing, so I usually use 2-3 cups broth.
Store leftover curry in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave. To freeze, cool completely and store in a heavy duty freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6th of recipe | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 21g | Sodium: 624mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g