Creamy Thai Butternut Squash Soup

I go grocery shopping only every two to three weeks. Cooking for one can be a blessing sometimes. And I always try to cook things that can be frozen or saved in the fridge for a long time because frankly, when I make a big pot of lentils, I can eat it for a week, but then I'm tired of it and I still have half a recipe left. Luckily, fall and winter are soup seasons! And today is my first soup of the season--creamy "thai" butternut squash.

I bought a butternut squash and a head of cauliflower so that I could repeat this recipe. (Interestingly enough, that's the first recipe I made when I started this food blog.) But today I ran across Heidi's take on pumpkin soup. The result is a mix of the two, and oh my word, it's delicious. Naturally, it's hard to photograph, so bear with me. (smile)

Creamy Thai Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash
1 head of cauliflower
olive oil
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
water or soy milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the butternut in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Drench the squash in oil (I'm on no diet!) and salt generously. Place outside up on a baking tray and bake for 45-1 hour, or until the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, put the cauliflower florets into a small, oiled baking dish of their own. After the squash has cooked for 15 minutes, put the cauliflower in with it. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is beginning to brown and the squash can be pierced easily with a fork. (They will probably be finished at different times.) Remove from the oven and set the cauliflower aside.

Allow the squash to cool until it's easy to handle, and scrape the flesh out of the skin and into a bowl. Use a fork or masher to mash it a little.

Scoop the squash into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste (I used 1.5 tablespoons, but it depends on how hot you want it and what brand you're using) and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Add water or soymilk one cup at a time until you reach the consistency you want.

Add the cauliflower and serve!