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Jerk-Seasoned Yellow Squash Soup with Coconut

Jerk-Seasoned Yellow Squash Soup with Coconut

By Courtney HillNovember 5, 2021

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Rating

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.

Tip

Don’t forget to remove the thyme sprigs before blending. Also, don’t fill the blender jar more than halfway. If overfilled, hot soup may spout out the top when the blender is turned on.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons coconut oil OR neutral oil

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, chopped

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons minced fresh ginger

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 ½

    teaspoons jerk seasoning, plus more to serve

  • 1

    habanero chili, stemmed, halved and seeded

  • 6

    thyme sprigs

  • 3

    pounds yellow crookneck squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped OR yellow summer squash, chopped

  • 14

    ounce can coconut milk

  • Pecans, toasted and chopped, to serve

Step 1

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic, jerk seasoning, habanero and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the ginger is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the squash, coconut milk, 2 cups water and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, 6 to 10 minutes.

Cool uncovered for about 5 minutes, then remove and discard the thyme.

Step 2

Using a blender and working in 2 or 3 batches to avoid overfilling the jar, puree the mixture until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium, stirring occasionally.

Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Served sprinkled with pecans and additional jerk seasoning.

Step 3

Chopped fresh cilantro

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