Recipe: Creamy, but dairy-free, butternut-ginger soup is the perfect antidote to holiday leftovers

Vegan Butternut-Ginger Soup.Sally Pasley Vargas

Serves 6

A bowl of soup is the perfect antidote to a long weekend of feasting on leftovers. In this vegan version of butternut soup, fresh ginger, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon warm the pot and coconut milk adds creaminess (if you’re not a fan and you eat dairy products, add heavy cream instead). The final oomph comes from miso. You might not discern it, but it gives the soup an unexpected lift. Ladle the pureed soup into bowls, swirl coconut milk onto each serving, add chopped cilantro and crushed red pepper, and serve your beautiful bowls.

2	tablespoons olive oil
1	medium onion, thinly sliced
2	stalks celery, thinly sliced
1	piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2	teaspoons ground coriander
1	teaspoon ground turmeric
½	teaspoon ground cinnamon
	Salt and pepper, to taste
1	can (15 ounces) coconut milk (any kind)
2	plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1	large peeled and seeded butternut squash half (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch chunks
4	cups water
3	tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste
1	tablespoon honey
2	tablespoon white miso
¼	cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
	Maras or Aleppo pepper (for sprinkling)

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Stir in the ginger, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Shake the can of coconut milk. Open it and set aside 1/4 cup for drizzling on top.

3. Add the remaining coconut milk to the pot with the tomatoes, butternut, water, lime juice, and honey. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the butternut is very tender when pressed with a fork. Stir in the miso.

4. In a blender, puree the soup in batches, until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and taste for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or lime juice, if you like.

5. Ladle into bowls and swirl a spoonful of coconut milk into each. Sprinkle with cilantro and Maras or Aleppo pepper.

Sally Pasley Vargas

Serves 6

A bowl of soup is the perfect antidote to a long weekend of feasting on leftovers. In this vegan version of butternut soup, fresh ginger, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon warm the pot and coconut milk adds creaminess (if you’re not a fan and you eat dairy products, add heavy cream instead). The final oomph comes from miso. You might not discern it, but it gives the soup an unexpected lift. Ladle the pureed soup into bowls, swirl coconut milk onto each serving, add chopped cilantro and crushed red pepper, and serve your beautiful bowls.

2	tablespoons olive oil
1	medium onion, thinly sliced
2	stalks celery, thinly sliced
1	piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2	teaspoons ground coriander
1	teaspoon ground turmeric
½	teaspoon ground cinnamon
	Salt and pepper, to taste
1	can (15 ounces) coconut milk (any kind)
2	plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1	large peeled and seeded butternut squash half (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch chunks
4	cups water
3	tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste
1	tablespoon honey
2	tablespoon white miso
¼	cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
	Maras or Aleppo pepper (for sprinkling)

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Stir in the ginger, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Shake the can of coconut milk. Open it and set aside 1/4 cup for drizzling on top.

3. Add the remaining coconut milk to the pot with the tomatoes, butternut, water, lime juice, and honey. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the butternut is very tender when pressed with a fork. Stir in the miso.

4. In a blender, puree the soup in batches, until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and taste for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or lime juice, if you like.

5. Ladle into bowls and swirl a spoonful of coconut milk into each. Sprinkle with cilantro and Maras or Aleppo pepper.Sally Pasley Vargas