BUTTERNUT SQUASH + RED LENTIL SOUP

First off, let me say this soup was so much better than I expected! I thought it was going to be completely ho-hum, especially with such minimal ingredients, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was delicious! I should have remembered butternut squash doesn't need much from my last recipe Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. It's been awhile since I've made butternut squash soup and unlike my last one, this is very filling on it's own.

I began this recipe with thoughts of adding it to pasta as a sauce. It could be used as that, although it's hearty enough on its own and honestly doesn't need it. If you do decide to add a grain, a serving of pasta or rice would be perfect. It's also fabulous with artisan bread (you already guessed that I'm sure). This soup is meant to be thick but feel free to add a tad more water if you like. This truly is a simple recipe from the ingredients to prepping and cooking. Peeling the squash is the hardest part...and really it's not so bad. No need to roast your butternut squash either, simply make make your soup in one big pot. All together, the flavors are perfect for fall. This would be a colorful and delicious starter soup for the holiday table! 

Butternut squash with its sweet flavored, brightly colored flesh is a great source of omega 3s and beta-carotene. It's also an excellent source of various vitamins like vitamin A, C & B-6 and trace elements such as manganese, copper, potassium and folate. When available, enjoy the winter squash often!

As a vegan, ethical vegan in my case,  I'm always doing my best to add in high protein plant-based sources when I can, the addition of lentils are perfect for that while adding extra thickness to the overall soup. Lentils of all color should be a part of any heart healthy diet.

The addition of sage is perfect for the fall season and holds its own health benefits, like boosting brain function and working as an anti-inflammatory. Two great reasons to add this herb wherever you can!

Colorful, hearty and delicious!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH + LENTIL SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water (for water saute)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large butternut squash, cubed (about 8 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils 
• 2 teaspoons dried sage or 2 tablespoons fresh minced
• 7 cups vegetable broth or water 
• himalayan salt & white or fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Cook soup: In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil/water over medium high heat, add onions and saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add sage and squash and cook a few minutes stirring occasionally. Add lentils, broth and salt & pepper, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, until squash is fork tender and lentils are soft. 

Puree: Once ready and slightly cooled, puree soup using your preferred method. Use an immersion blender and puree soup right in the pot until desired consistency. Or you can puree in your blender or food processor, this method may take two or three batches to complete. Add extra liquids as needed for desired thickness.

Serve topped with pine nuts and chopped sage if you like, fresh cracked pepper would also be great. 

Serves 4 - 6. 

Notes:

I used half water, half broth for this recipe. I use Better Than Bouillon paste, about 1 heaping teaspoon with 3 1/2 cups water. I find that's plenty of flavor and my soup was great. If not using vegetable broth, I might suggest adding a half teaspoon or so of garlic powder, onion powder and maybe a smidge of coriander to bring some extra flavors to the soup.

Keep in mind the smaller you chop your butternut squash, the quicker it will cook. Try to keep them around 3/4" or smaller. 

Add in chopped carrots, about 2 large, if you like.

You may just as well enjoy this soup without blending. Or you may like to use a potato masher instead, this will add some creaminess while still leaving some chunkiness.

Only red lentils will work with this recipe. For one, the color would be altered making it look muddied. Secondly, other lentils take longer longer to cook. If you can't find red lentils at your local grocery store, try ordering them online. 

Try using this as a pasta sauce or serve with a serving of rice.

This can be made a day or two ahead and reheated when ready to serve.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but this is my first time ever having butternut squash soup. I've been missing out on something wonderful all these years. This soup is truly amazing with its simple flavors. The sweetness of the roasted squash is the center piece with a light hint of garlic and shallot. I found this soup to be very light on its own, so pairing it with a sandwich or crackers will make this a filling, healthy and tasty meal. You may also try this over pasta as a butternut squash pasta sauce. Double this recipe and you'll be sure to have some leftovers to use in various ways. It's a welcome addition to the recipe collection and I look forward to making this recipe many more times in the future. Its bright and cheery colors will be welcome on those dark, grey days of the winter ahead. Bring on the warm, colorful soup and beanies!

This is so easy to make, simply roast your squash, shallots and garlic. Once done, puree the vegetables with vegetable broth and serve with garnish of choice.

Here I paired it with half an avocado, tomato & hummus sandwich using my Simple White Bean Hummus, you could also use my Favorite Hummus. Nothing fancy, just good simple foods that taste amazing. This was a perfect combo and hit the spot completely! 

 ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 3/4' inch pieces (approx. 4 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 small shallots or 1/2 sweet onion, peeled and halved
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare vegetables, toss with olive oil right on the roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet (line with parchment paper or use a silpat if you rather but tossing with oil on the cookie sheet with also grease your pan). Roast for 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, cooking until squash is fork tender. Remove any onion or garlic that seem to be over roasting and set aside. Once done, remove and let cool for 10 to 15 min.

Make your soup one of two ways:

One: Place roasted vegetables, liquids and salt in large pot, use submersion blender to blend until smooth. Depending on how much squash you actually used, add more liquid as needed for desired consistency. Cook on medium low until heated through. Taste for seasoning.

or...

Two: Place squash and shallots in blender/food processor and blend until creamy. In large pot place blended mix and add water and salt. Cook on medium low until heated through adding more liquid as needed and taste for seasoning.

Serve as you like topped with seeds, herbs and spices or leave it simple as is. I topped mine with pepitas (pumpkin seeds), a few rosemary leaves and a dash of cayenne pepper for some heat. Fresh chopped sage or thyme, even a sprinkle of caraway seeds would be great too if you have it on hand. A little Coconut Bacon on top may be a nice variation too.

Serves 2 - 3.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

This chili is a great way to get the wholesome goodness of butternut squash and black beans into your diet!

Butternut squash with its beautiful orange colored flesh is full of nutrients like carotenoids, which help against the spread of cancer and developing arthritis. And it contains plenty of beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A, helpful to boost the immune system, protect cells and keep the reproductive system healthy. You'll also get half the daily recommended dose of antioxidant rich vitamin C with just one cup. They're a good source of fiber, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and B6. And on top of it all they are low in calories with only 75 calories per cup.

Black beans are a great source of plant based protein and will help keep the digestive tract in good working condition. They are a filling and low fat food, containing about 113 calories and 8 grams of protein & fiber per 1/2 cup with less than 1 gram of fat. Black beans are high in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and iron. All these are essential nutrients and key factors to help keep you feeling healthy and at your best. 

Here you have a fantastic one pot meal that will surely please all types of eaters. It's adapted from Cookie & Kate. Easy to put together and ready in about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish. The little bit of cinnamon in this makes it feel like a true autumn meal and pairs well with the warm chili and chipotle spices, and if using the cocoa you will add another depth to the dish. Simple, delicious & hearty! If you have leftovers, even better because as it sets the flavors mingle making for a great meal the next day. In fact, it was too dark to take photos yesterday so these are the leftovers...I had this bowl of chili for breakfast and it was delicious. To top it off I sliced some corn tortillas into thin strips, placed them on a cookie sheet, added a bit of olive oil, dusted them lightly with chipotle powder and put them under the broiler on high until they were crisp. It made for a nice crunchy topper. Avocado would also be fabulous adding a nice creaminess here and there!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water, for water saute
• 1 butternut squash (about 3 - 4 cups), peeled, seeded & diced
• 1 medium red onion or 2 large shallots, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, start small
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder, optional
• 3 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 4-5 cups home cooked black beans
• 2 cans (15 oz) fire roasted tomatoes + juice or 3 to 4 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• himalayan salt, to taste

garnish options

• avocado
• fresh made tortilla strips
• cilantro
• diced onions

In large stock pot over medium high heat, heat water and saute the butternut squash, onion, bell peppers and garlic until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add your spices, beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally and tasting for flavor along the way. Will be done when the butternut squash is tender.

Serve with garnish of choice and freshly warmed corn tortillas.

Serves 6 - 8.

Notes:

Pictures reflect the use of 3 cups of water, a bit by accident. I prefer 2 cups myself for a thicker chili but the juiciness of this chili is delicious and I didn't mind the extra liquids here. Feel free to add more liquids to suit your taste.

This recipe was revisited on 11/12/13 with minor recipe changes and new photos. The changes made to the recipe was adding another can of beans...instead of 2 cans, it now calls for 3. Feel free to use less beans if you wish. I added the extra beans as a way to make the recipe go further. I also only call for 3 cloves garlic instead of 6. Feel free to add/subtract ingredients to suit your preference.

You can sub in diced sweet potato in place of the butternut squash for variation. Would be delicious too!

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash w/ Spinach, Beans & Barley

 A life uncomplicated. That is the way to live. Tonight's dinner was a perfect example of simplicity and elegance. At least I see it that way ! Colorful, tasty and extremely satisfying. This is a wonderful complete meal including lots of protein from the beans & barley, as well as tons of fiber. The butternut squash with its sweet roasted flavor gives life and warmth to the dish while adding its benefits of iron, potassium and vitamin C. Add spinach, some avocado, a touch of rosemary and thyme, and this has rounded out nicely without breaking the bank either. These simple easy dishes are so many times overlooked. 

Roasted Butternut Squash w/ Spinach, Beans & Barley

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 can (15oz.) cannellini beans
• two handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1/2  teaspoon rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• avocado, diced
• Himalayan salt & cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook your barley according to directions, will take apprx. 45 min. 

While your barley is simmering, prepare your butternut squash by cubing into 1 inch pieces. Place on roasting pan lined with parchment paper, silpat or lightly greased. Lightly brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with the rosemary, thyme and salt. Cook in oven for 25-30 min, turning once. When be ready when fork pierces easily.

In a medium size pot, add your beans and spinach, and cook over medium heat until beans are warmed and spinach has wilted.

Once everything is ready, serve with diced avocado and season to taste with salt & pepper. 

Serves 2 -3.

Enjoy the simples !