Thai Butternut Squash Soup

From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

My darling husband doesn't like tofu. He will eat just about anything that I put in front of him (a real treat for a new cook) but when the meal has tofu in it he suddenly looks rather pained. But I can happily report that the tofu in this recipe is so deliciously marinated that even he proclaimed: "This one is a keeper!"
SOUP
1 cup coconut milk
0.5 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)
2 12-ounce packages of frozen cooked winter squash
1 lime
2 cups fresh baby spinach
chopped fresh cilantro

PAN- FRIED TOFU
0.5 cake firm tofu (about 8 ounces)
1 tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp vegetable oil

In a soup pot, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth. Add the lime leaf and frozen squash, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the squash is thawed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Pan-Fried Tofu. Cut the tofu into small cubes and put them in a bowl. Toss with the soy sauce and the curry paste. Heat the oil in a small skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Lightly grate the lime peel and juice the lime. Add 1 teaspoon of the zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice to the simmering soup. Stir in the spinach and tofu and cook just until the spinach wilts. Add more sugar and salt to taste. Serve the soup garnished with cilantro if you like.

*Packaged frozen winter squash is perfect for this recipe, but if it's not available, look for pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of your market, or peel and seed your own squash. You'll need 4 cups chopped. Puree the soup in a blender before adding the spinach and tofu.