Last year, I came up with this recipe with a vegetarian friend in mind. We all were together for Thanksgiving and most of the dishes were not vegetarian friendly.
I was planning to make ginataang kalabasa, but decided to turn it into a stand-alone dish that would have more of a broad appeal. The soup is simple enough to do in a single pot.
I highly recommend that you puree the soup in a blender and pass it through a cone strainer to give the soup a smoother consistency! Also, chill and whip any extra coconut cream in a cold bowl until it forms stiff peaks. Use this whipped coconut cream and nutmeg to garnish the soup.
Ginataang Kalabasa Soup (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash, medium-sized, peeled, seeded and diced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup coconut cream
- Sachet; with bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme
- pinch nutmeg
- salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Method:
- In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sweat the onions and garlic.
- Once the onions are soft, add the squash and cook out, giving the squash a little colour.
- Deglaze the pot with the vegetable stock. Add the herb sachet and bring the soup up to a simmer.
- Slowly simmer the soup until the squash has softened, to the point of it breaking down. Season to taste with the salt and nutmeg.
- Using a blender, puree the soup into a smooth consistency. If possible, strain off the soup with a fine mesh sieve.
- Serve hot and garnish with extra coconut cream and nutmeg.
