At our March Critic’s outing, we visited El Vino in the Elysian Building and the critics were treated to a five-course tasting menu. At the Q&A afterwards, head chef Patrick Murphy was asked to share the recipe for the butternut squash, coconut and chili soup. Patrick was delighted and obliged. As with all chefs, he is not used to write recipes and only cooks in large volumes, so here is the paired down version (unless you want to peel and chop 6 butternut squashes) 🙂
Butternut Squash, Coconut & Chili Soup by El Vino
- olive oil
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks (roasting the butternut squash first, cuts down on cooking time and releases the natural sweetness of the squash)
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 red chilies (more if you like it hot)
- 1 small leek, finely sliced
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 – 1.5 litre vegetable (or chicken stock) and coconut milk (50-50%) – if you prefer less coconut, feel free to use more stock. Amount of stock depends how thick or thin you like your soup.
Decoration: toasted coconut shavings, extra coconut milk for drizzling
Heat olive oil in a deep pan, add the vegetables and sweat for a few minutes. Add stock and coconut milk and leave to simmer until vegetables are tender. Blitz with a blender or on a food processor (making sure it’s not too hot) until smooth. For an extra silky feel, pass the soup through a fine-meshed sieve. Pour into bowls, scatter the toasted coconut over and drizzle with some coconut milk.
Enjoy
