Jerk-Seasoned Yellow Squash Soup with Coconut

This soup pairs the lively flavor of Jamaican jerk spices with rich coconut milk and buttery, subtly sweet yellow crookneck squash. Crookneck squash is in the same family as zucchini, but its skin is thicker and its seeds are heartier. When cooked, it becomes soft and spongy, perfect for pureeing into a velvety soup. If crookneck isn’t available, yellow summer squash works instead, though its flavor is milder, and there’s no need to remove the seeds because they’re more tender. The spiciness of jerk seasoning—an herb, spice and chili blend—varies from brand to brand, so you may want to taste yours and adjust the amount you add. The habanero also lends spiciness, but we seed it to remove some of its capsaicin. Fans of heat, however, may wish to leave in the seeds. If you own an immersion blender, you can use it to puree the soup directly in the pot.