Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut, Green Curry, and Ginger

This is a great recipe my friend Tiffany sent to me. She got it from Mary and Sarah cooking thymes two.

• 1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil (see note) or canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger, or 3 tablespoons chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (about 6-7 cups, a scant 11/2 pounder)
• 4 cups homemade chicken broth, or one 32-ounce tetra brick container organic chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon green curry paste (Mae Ploy is the brand we prefer, but Thai Kitchen works just fine)
• 1/2 cup organic coconut milk (Native Forest puts out a really nice one)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado or brown sugar, plus more if necessary
• 1/2 lime
• cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Place a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the onions and the ginger. Stir in the curry powder and the salt. Cook, with an occasional stir until soft, about 5-7 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. They should smell really fabulous at this point. Add the squash. Cook for a few minutes, stirring lots to ensure that the onions don’t burn. It’s important that you get some good caramelization at the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and the green curry paste and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about a half hour, stirring occasionally, or until the squash is tender. (You can cook it a bit longer if you want the soup to be “squashed,” or a little less if you want a brothier consistency with firmer bites of squash.) Finally, stir in the coconut milk, sugar and lime. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. Each butternut squash has its own unique concentration of sugars, so add more sugar if needed. Garnish with cilantro leaves and or a lime wedge.
Serve over a bed of rice or just as is.