Soup with Green Garlic, Kabocha Squash & Coconut

by Mar 21, 2016

greengarlic

The garlic bulb you know and love reveals itself in the spring garden as “green garlic” or “spring garlic” (this link goes to Food52 – great tips and recipe suggestions).  Depending on when the farmer picks, you will find “green garlic” in phases from scallion-looking stalk to young bulb with cloves – all are great for cooking.  I’m still waiting for mine to peek up out of the soil here in Montana, but if you live in a warm climate, you may be seeing them already.  Nevertheless, get psyched to cook with these babies, they provide a mellow garlic flavor and are a beautiful way to connect to spring.

Garlic scapes“will come later, maybe even early summer, when farmers cut off the bulb’s flowering stalk – a treat for us cooks and eaters, and essential for the formation of a robust, flavorful head of garlic.

 

Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips

  • Roast the squash up to 4 nights in advance of making the soup. (Whenever you are using the oven to roast a chicken or something else that takes some time, pop in a squash so that you can have it roasted and ready to use — either that same night or 3 – 4 nights down the road.)
  • Penzey’s Spices is a reliable resource for flavorful curries; I especially like their Maharaja.
  • Ghee is butter that is cooked gently until the milk solids separate to the bottom of the pan and start to brown, giving the “clarified butter” a slight nutty taste. Ghee is used in Indian cooking and Ayurvedic principles claim that ghee is good for mental clarify, healthy skin and good digestion. I like its flavor and high smoke point, which makes it great for sautéing.
  • Best coconut milk:  Chaokoh

 

Soup with Green Garlic, Kabocha Squash & Coconut

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Kabocha squash, rinsed with water and roasted in advance (see Step 1 below)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 green garlic head and tender light green stalk (peel off any papery outer layer), finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • optional: a jalapeño or other hot chile pepper, seeds removed and flesh finely diced
  • 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon Maharaja curry
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • Serving accompaniments: plain yogurt, dried mango, cashews

Instructions

  1. Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off stem end with a sharp chef’s knife. Microwave the squash for 30-60 seconds to soften slightly, then cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds. Place each squash half, cut side down, in a glass or ceramic baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until tender.
  2. Melt the ghee in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, and optional chile pepper. Gently cook over “medium” heat, stirring now and then so that the onions soften but do not brown.
  3. Sprinkle in the spices and salt, and cook for a minute. Add the coconut milk, water, and flesh from the roasted squash (use a spoon to scoop the squash from the rind, discard the rind). Stir to combine, then simmer gently 15 – 20 minutes to develop the flavors, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt, a few strips of dried mango, and some cashews.
https://ripefoodandwine.com/2016/03/21/soup-with-green-garlic-kabocha-squash-coconut/

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