Yum!

Hello friends, we've got a unique take on a classic fall recipe for you this week. Along with that we have some fun new developments that you could say are also orange in color....

Just what are we talking about, Yummly.  If you aren't familiar yet, Yummly is a recipe database on which you can search for millions of recipes and save your favorites to your personal page - check it out here. We've started to add the Yum button to the bottom of our posts (look for a little orange "Yum") so that you can easily save our recipes once you've created a Yummly account. On Yummly you can begin to build a portfolio of your favorite recipes from all over the web (with a large percentage of TGBK recipes of course, wink, wink). All our new recipes will include this Yum button and we will start adding the button to older posts though this will take some time (there are just so many!). We have a few recipes published to our Yummly account which you can check out here, and look forward to "yumming" many more. We thank you for your patience as we get more added and hope you enjoy creating your own virtual recipe book. 

Butternut Squash Red Curry Soup
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 60 minutes
Servings: ~ 10 cups of soup

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt + 1/4-1/2 tsp to taste 
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh ginger juice (2 Tbsp chopped ginger root would also work)
3 Tbsp red curry paste
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 cups full fat coconut milk

Toppings
1 package (15 oz) sprouted tofu, cubed  (or protein of your choice - white beans or chick peas would also work)
1 cup dry pearl barley (or grain of your choice - quinoa, spelt berries, or wheat berries would also work)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges
Sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash, peel, and cube butternut squash then place on a parchment lined backing sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Cook pearl barley according to package instructions then set aside.

Drain tofu from water and cube into bite size pieces then set aside.  

In a large pot set to medium heat, sauté onion with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Cook onion until translucent and golden on the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic to the pot and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the ginger juice or chopped fresh ginger and red curry paste. Stir until combined then add vegetable broth, peanut butter, and cooked butternut squash to the pot and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and work in batches to puree soup contents in a large blender on high until completely smooth. Add pureed soup back to the pot, stir in 2 cups coconut milk and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add additional 1/4-1/2 tsp salt to taste.

Pour hot soup into serving bowls and top with cubed tofu, pearl barley, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime wedge, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.  If you do not plan to serve all the soup at once, store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you freeze your left overs, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw about 2 days prior to consuming. It's best to keep the toppings separate from the puree and add them in when you're ready to warm up your next bowl of soup. Enjoy!

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This soup really does deserve the "Yum." Such an interesting twist on a fall favorite - butternut squash soup. Though in this preparation the mild squash is brightened by red curry and made super rich with the addition of coconut milk. Peanut butter provides a nutty finish and the various toppings can be adjusted to your liking. Why not take a risk with your next squash and try this variation? And don't forget the Yum!

Enjoy,
Jess and Cecelia 

Yum