3 Ways to Make Butternut Squash Soup Faster

If you're looking for a way to add some butternut squash to your meals—or just want to spice up your #MeatlessMonday then look no further than our recipe for Thai curried squash soup.

It's chock full of flavor, takes just minutes to make, and at 250 calories per serving is a great light dinner or starter—combine it with a fresh salad and you have a super healthy meal.

You can dial up or down the spice by playing with the amount of red pepper that you put in. It also makes great leftovers. And to help you make the dish even faster, we offer these three time-saving techniques:

1. Use frozen squash.

Frozen butternut squash saves you the trouble of peeling, dicing, and parboiling a whole fresh squash; cubes or unseasoned puree will work here.

2. Bloom the spices.

Cooking the spices in a little oil (called “blooming”) at the beginning is a fast, simple way to amp up flavor. Just be sure not to burn them.

Gnocchi are the base for a simple toss with sweet butternut squash, rich chicken thighs, spinach, and sage:

3. Use an immersion blender.

Save yourself a little cleanup and use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot instead of transferring the soup to a blender.

View Recipe: Thai Curried Squash Soup

Instead of shaking the coconut milk can to emulsify the cream, reserve the rich “cream” floating to the top and blend with ginger and lime for a decadent swirl on each serving. Silken tofu adds instant body and protein to the soup for a more substantial main dish.