Thyme Enough

Thyme Enough Red Curry Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Nelson and Sandy Barnett met in college. They have been happily married for 58 years and are still having fun cooking and living! Find Sandy’s newly published thriller Dead in the Shadow of Doubt on Amazon. com.

Contributed by Lindley Barnett

January often brings cold, gray, dreary days that need to be stoked to life with something vibrant and spicy. I have been on a spice kick recently that has allowed me to travel in my imagination and free of the restrictions of the Pandemic to more colorful climates like those of India and Asia. I dabbled in dishes like Tikka Masala, Indian Butter Chicken, Dan Dan Noodles, and Spicy Pork Ramen Bowls. The following recipe is a result of one of those journeys. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil--(I used avocado oil.) 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces 1 medium red onion, diced, divided 2 teaspoons brown sugar freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 6 cups chicken broth, or to taste, divided 1 (13 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat) 2 tablespoons red curry paste*, or more to taste ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces-- (I used two packages of already peeled butternut squash found in the fresh vegetable aisle.) 1 large red bell pepper, diced 2 medium green onions, thinly sliced, or more to taste ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, or more to taste 2 small serrano peppers, thinly sliced (optional) 3 medium limes, halved

Marinate chicken in cumin, salt, and pepper, and a drizzle of oil for at least 20 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy soup pot over mediumhigh heat. Add chicken to hot oil; cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 of the red onion and brown sugar. Cook until onions have softened and sugar starts to caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Toss in ginger and garlic; stir until sizzling, about 1 minute.

Add 4 cups chicken broth and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil. Add coconut milk and curry paste. Add cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Stir in fish sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Carefully cut squash with a large knife on a cutting board. Remove seeds and peel and discard skin. Cut flesh into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 1 1/2 pounds of squash.

Add squash to soup and salt to taste. Add remaining chicken broth to cover squash. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin is just barely tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in remaining red onion, bell pepper, and green onions; cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with more cilantro, green onions, and serrano chiles. Squeeze lime juice into each bowl. *Red Curry Paste--If you can’t find red curry paste in our local grocery stores, you can make your own. My cousin, Susan Barnett Matinchek, shared her recipe with me.

3 large dried chili peppers, like guajillo or red New Mexican chili 10 small dried chiles de Arbol, (I find that too spicy, so I only added 5 and then subbed in 1 ancho chili.) ½ C coarsely chopped shallots ¼ C coarsely chopped garlic 1 T coarsely chopped fresh ginger root 1 T ground coriander 1 t ground cumin ½ t black pepper ½ t salt

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Tear the chilies into smaller pieces, then soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place your shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, pepper, and salt into the bowl of a food processor or blender. I used my Nutri Bullet.

Drain the chilies and add them to the food processor.

Process the ingredients into a paste. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl down as you go.

Store in a glass container for up to a month in the fridge or for up to a year in the freezer. N

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