summer meets fall by combining delicious sweet tomatoes and vibrant red kuri squash. i’ve also added a bit of madras curry to give it a little bit of heat. i know it was a bit crazy to make soup on a hot so-cal september day, but the colors of these beauties inspired me.

ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 onion, diced small, about 2 1/2 cups
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced small
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs red kuri squash, skin removed, seeded, and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
• 2 tsp of madras curry powder
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make it vegetarian)
• 6-7 medium tomatoes, seeded (reserve juices, strained of seeds), roughly chopped
• 2 tsp of thyme, plus extra for garnish
• pinch of cayenne
• s+p to taste (i ended up using about 2 tbsp of coarse hanapepe salt and at least a dozen grinds of a pepper mill)
• crème fraîche, as garnish
• 1 cup half + half (optional)

yield: 8 cups, 4-6 servings

directions:

melt the butter in a large heavy bottomed pan, such as a dutch oven.

add onions and carrots, and a touch of salt. let cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. then add the squash and stir to combine. cook, stirring occasionally, until a slight brown fond starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.

add the curry and cayenne. stir to combine.

add the reserved tomato juice and stock. use a wooden spoon to remove any fond from the bottom of the pan. add some s+p. i added about 1 tbsp of hanapepe salt and several cranks on the pepper mill at this point.

bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer. add the tomatoes and thyme. let cook about 20 minutes, or until the squash is soft.

purée until smooth. i use a hand blender for sheer ease, but a regular blender will work, just make sure you do it in batches and don’t over fill.

taste and add any additional s+p at this point. i added another few cranks on the pepper mill and probably another tbsp of hanapepe salt. then i allowed the spices to meld a little while longer on low heat.

there are a few finishing options. add a dollop of crème fraîche, and a pinch of thyme for garnish.

to add creaminess all the way through, turn off the heat and add 1 cup of half + half. if saving some for the next day, or freezing it, hold off on adding the cream until slowly reheating it.

also, one of my favorite things is grilled cheese and tomato soup, and this makes a wonderful alternative to a mainstay meal.

enjoy!