Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

This vegan butternut squash coconut curry is packed with warming spices and comes together with just 15 minutes of active kitchen preparation.

Is anyone else completely over this winter? Ugh. I don't think I can take another inch of snow or another day of single-digit temperatures.

My black car now has a snazzy new paint job which I like to call Salt-Stained-Snow-Dusted Grayish White.

Fortunately, it looks like Friday will bring a warm spell: 39º Fahrenheit. There's about 20% sarcasm in that statement and about 80% actual excitement. Thankfully, there are recipes like this one to literally warm us up and conjure up thoughts of faraway and much warmer places.

Just looking at this coconut curry makes me feel a little warmer.

The golden-orange butternut squash looks like spots of sunshine in a bowl, doesn't it?

This recipe is bursting with delicious flavors that just make you feel good.

The broth is made from coconut milk, onions, garlic, and spices that add a slow-warming kick of flavor. For the spices, I prefer to use a combination of curry powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, ground ginger, and cayenne, but please feel free to adjust, add, and delete to suit your taste preferences.

Heaps of butternut squash are then simmered to tender perfection within the broth. As the squash simmers, it soaks up tons of flavor from the sweet coconut-curry broth.

Cilantro is tossed in towards the end of cooking to add a pop of freshness.

The finished curry is ladled over a mound of warm brown rice or quinoa.

It doesn't get much better than this dish, especially when you're in need of a little sunshine amidst all this snow.

I recommend preparing this dish on a Sunday to enjoy as a quick reheat-and-serve meal throughout the week. Its bright hue and dynamic spices won't disappoint.

📖 Recipe

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5 from 2 votes

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

This vegan butternut squash coconut curry is packed with warming spices and comes together with just 15 minutes of active kitchen preparation.

Course Entrée

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Author Ashley

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
• 2 15- ounce cans light coconut milk
• 1 medium butternut squash,peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 16ths
• ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
• 4-6 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa, for serving

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in dutch oven or stock pot over medium-low heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until tender (approximately 5 minutes).
• Add the curry powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt to the pot.
• Pour in the coconut milk and whisk to distribute the spices.
• Add in the butternut squash and tomatoes and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
• Stir in the chopped cilantro with about 5 minutes left of simmering time.
• To increase the thickness, I recommend transferring two ladles of the mixture to a blender, blending for 10-15 seconds and returning the blended mixture to the pot.
• Ladle the mixture over heaps of brown rice and serve.