Vietnamese Butternut Squash Soup

The Vietnamese cuisine is a blend of European French influences and eastern Vietnamese flavors. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide. This recipe is one of my favorites and such a great soup to have on a cloudy rainy spring day or cold wintery evening! Make a lot of Vietnamese Butternut Squash Soup and enjoy it with friends!

Ingredient List

To serve 5-6 adults

3 Leg quarters or 5 chicken Breast ( depends if you want dark or white meat)
1 Whole Butternut Squash
1/2 cup or 1 whole cup of Granulated chicken broth or chicken powder
3-4 tablespoon Fish Sauce (You can substitute it for soy sauce if you do not have any)
4-5 tablespoon Minced Garlic
1/2 tablespoon Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder
3 swigs Lemon Juice

Fish Sauce is an important ingredient in all Vietnamese recipes. You can buy it at a specialty store or order it online. A little of this sauce goes a long way!

To Garnish
Cilantro
Limes

Skin and clean your chicken and place in a pot of water to boil. Let boil. Once it is cooked, strain chicken and then chop it up into 1″ x 1″ cubes.

While the chicken is cooking, begin to prepare your Butternut Squash.
First Grab a potato peeler and peel the butternut.

Second, cut the butternut in half length wise and scoop out and clean the inside

Now begin to cut it into cubes about 2″ x 2″ big.

In a new clean bigger pot fill with water to create you soup base.
Add all of the above mentioned ingredients including butternut squash.
Cover with a lid and let it boil.
Once it is boiled add the chicken cubes to the soup base.
Let it continue to boil for an additional 25-30 minutes.
Check your butternut squash at this time to make sure it is soft to the touch, but be careful and do not over cook where it crumbles. (Soft cubed mash potatoes is what you want)

Serve in a bowl with a 1 scoop of white rice (optional) garnish with cilantro and lime.