recipe by deliciously ella
As you may know already – I LOVE cookbooks.
My pantry is full of them. Whenever I’m in a bookstore, I make a bee-line to the cookbook section. I especially like the beautiful ones that also include personal stories like this one DELICIOUSLY ELLA THE PLANT-BASED COOKBOOK: 100 all-new plant-based recipes.
I was drawn to this particular recipe because I’ve never used, or made tandoori paste.
I was intrigued – and very satisfied – with the outcome. It was also a cold, rainy, fall day and I wanted some warmth to feed the body and soul. My husband Dana said every bite was a ‘waterfall of flavor.’ The soup is rich and thick, with warming spices. I share her recipe (with my own edits) and encourage you to buy her cookbook here.
- olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped (I used roasted garlic)
- 1 Tablespoon tandoori paste (see below note)
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (I roasted mine ahead of time)
- 2 cans coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini beans)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the onion, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt on medium/low heat till soft – about 5-10 minutes.
Add tandoori paste and squash and cook another 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, beans, ginger and coriander and one can of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes. (It took me less time because my squash was already roasted. I simply brought it to a boil then turned it off).
Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Add water if desired. (I actually didn’t add any water as I appreciated the thick consistency).
Make your own tandoori paste.
Using a small food processor, blend together the following into a paste:
1 teaspoon each of chili powder, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, ground coriander, ground turmeric, paprika and salt PLUS a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger and 2 Tablespoons of lime juice and 2 Tablespoons of tomato puree (I used paste).
