Roasted Butternut Squash Soup



I made this delicious and healthy roasted butternut squash soup last night. It was perfect for a rainy autumn evening, and if there is one thing I love about autumn it is soup. It makes for easy and comforting weeknight dinners, don't you think?




This recipe has a kick to it with the curry and the red pepper but you can adjust to your taste. I love roasting root vegetables for soups. It adds such a great depth of flavor. This soup is made hearty with the addition of red lentils. It thickens the soup and adds fibre and protein. I love using lentils in soups and stews.


I pulled out these pretty vintage soup bowls I still had packed away. It's like a shopping trip every time I open a box. 




By the way, I used curry in this recipe. I love curry but you may not, so just replace it with something you love.



Roasted Butternut Squash Soup --- the recipe


Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
4 medium carrots
2 shallots, diced
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 litre chicken stock
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
*1-2 cups of water

Method:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and rub butter on the inside.
Remove ends from carrots and peel.
Place squash face up on baking sheet, then add the carrots to the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until roasted (approximately 45 minutes) the squash and carrots should be golden and soft. When squash and carrots are roasted, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a large pot and add the shallots, saute on a medium heat until they start to soften. Then add the curry powder and red pepper flakes to the shallots and cook on a medium to low heat until the shallots soak up the curry powder a little bit. Add the (rinsed and drained) lentils to the pot along with the chicken stock. Stir.

Scoop the roasted flesh from the squash and cut the carrots in half, add to pot.
Bring it all to a boil and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

*Once the soup has simmered and the lentils are cooked through you may need to add some water to thin the soup out a little bit. I added about 1 1/2 cups of water at this point. 

Puree the soup. I just use a handheld blender.

**Ideas to garnish the soup:

Roast the seeds from the squash. Simply toss with a little bit of olive oil, sprinkle with cumin and roast in the oven alongside the vegetables. But be careful because they pop so put them in a separate pan or do stovetop. PS. these are so good and make a great snack too!

Fry some thin slices of chorizo. They add a great smoky flavor to the soup.

Take it up a level and put these two garnishes together with a dollop of sour cream and it looks so pretty and tastes so good!

This recipe yields a large pot of soup enough for at least 8-10 bowls. 

Enjoy!








2 comments

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Brandie. The weather is starting to feel just right for dinners like this.

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