Squash and tamarind soup with peanut and lime yoghurt
Ingredients (serves 6)
Soup
1 butternut squash
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp tamarind paste
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small mild red chilli deseeded
Sea salt
Peanut & lime yoghurt
2 tbsp good quality crunchy peanut butter (my fave is manilife)
Half a lime juiced
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt or kefir
Optional garnishes
lime wedges
Sesame seeds
Fresh coriander
My green trim herb oil (recipe here)
Method
Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan on a low heat until they start to release their aroma and colour very slightly. Remove from the heat and crush with pestle and mortar. Set aside.
Finely slice the onion. Peel and dice the squash into even cubes. Finely dice the chilli (remove the seeds or keep depending how much heat you want the soup to have).
Heat some olive pan in a large saucepan on a low to medium heat, add the onions and sweat down until soft and lightly caramelised.
Add chilli and spices and cook on a medium heat for 1 minute. Follow with the tamarind cooking off for a further minute before adding the squash and stirring well to coat in the spices.
Pour in the stock (I’m using homemade veg stock but any vegetable or chicken stock of your choosing will do) turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, lid on and leave to cook for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the yoghurt. The squash shouldn’t have any resistance when you push a fork through it but still holding its shape when ready.
Mix your peanut butter, lime juice and yoghurt/ kefir until combined. Add a splash of water to loosen if needed, it should be a spoonable consistency.
Strain the squash but reserve the liquid to add as you blend. Add as much as required to get the desired consistency. Taste and season with sea salt if needed.
Pour into serving bowls and top with with your peanut & lime yoghurt- stirring the yoghurt into the soup as you tuck in!
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three days or frozen for a super quick lunch next time you are strapped for time.