1 - 14 ounce can low fat coconut milk, shaken (a little more or less is ok)
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or water)
2 – 4 teaspoons fish sauce, to taste
1 lime, zest and juice
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt (or other yogurt, but not Greek as it is too thick)
fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
canola, avocado or other neutral flavored oil, as needed
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Arrange the squash cubes on the tray, drizzle with oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and kosher salt. Toss to evenly coat the squash then roast until caramelized, approximately 25 minutes.
Step 2
Place a 4.25 quart Dutch oven or large sauce pot over medium high heat. Add enough oil to barely coat the bottom and, once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions turn translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized and are brown all around, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Turn the heat back up to medium high and add the lemongrass, Thai chills and garlic. Stir frequently to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn. Cook until aromatic and the garlic is starting to brown around the edges, approximately 3 minutes.
Step 4
Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth; stir to combine. Carefully add the roasted squash and bring the soup up to a simmer before lowering the heat to cook for 10 to 15 minutes more.
Step 5
To make the cumin yogurt: In a small bowl stir together the coconut yogurt and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Taste and add a splash of fish sauce so it is slightly sour and sweet.
Step 6
Using an immersion blender carefully blend the soup until it reaches a smooth, velvety consistency. Add more vegetable broth or water as needed to thin it out.
Step 7
Add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (or a couple dashes) and half of the lime juice and zest. Taste and adjust from there. The goal is a balance of sweet, sour and salty so you may need more fish sauce or lime juice than called for.
Step 8
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the cumin yogurt over the top and then sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and chopped cilantro.
