Deseed the Hokkaido squash and cut it into rough chunks. Finely dice the onion and grate the ginger.
Soften the onion and ginger in olive oil over a medium heat until translucent. Add the red curry paste and toast briefly until fragrant.
Add the Hokkaido squash to the pan and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring everything to the boil, then simmer gently until the squash is soft.
Stir in the coconut milk and blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender. If needed, add a little stock to get the consistency you like.
Heat the soup through briefly once more and season to taste. If you like, let it rest briefly so the flavours come together.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Fresh herbs or a swirl of coconut milk go well with it.
Good to know
This soup is soft, spicy and pleasantly well-rounded in flavour. It takes little effort and still feels like proper cooking.
Swaps
Hokkaido squash → butternut squash (similarly mild, slightly finer texture); coconut milk → cashew butter with water (a little more protein, creamy texture; contains tree nuts); red curry paste → yellow curry paste (often milder, depending on the product); onion → shallot (slightly more delicate flavour, used the same way)
Allergens
Depending on the curry paste, it may contain crustaceans or fish, and some people avoid coconut as an allergen. For children, season more mildly; in pregnancy, use pasteurised coconut milk and a stock prepared to good hygiene standards.
