Saturday, December 06, 2008

Lunch!

Spicy Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

I made Spicy Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup for lunch this week ... thank goodness I did because it was so bloody cold and it really hit the spot! There was a lot of chopping and blitzing on Sunday BUT it was worthwhile. There's not a recipe so to speak - I just use random amounts of vegetables ... but for what it's worth, here you go.

Jo's "it changes every time but that's one of the best bits of the surprise"
Spicy Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup
1 butternut squash
Fry light Olive-Oil spray
large pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 tsp of la Chinata paprika
onions, carrots, courgettes, celery, leeks or whatever veg you love/have handy
100 grms of red lentils*
3 tsps Marigold Swiss vegetable Bouillon powder
salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut the butternut squash** in half, scrape out the seeds, spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with chilli flakes, paprika, salt and pepper. Roast in a hot-ish oven for 40 mins until soft.
2. Put the lentils to soak/wash in cold water.
3. Clean, peel and chop the remaining vegetables and sweat*** them off in a large pan with some more of the olive oil spray.
4. Add the lentils and mix them to coat them with the lovely slippery vegetable juiciness.
5. Cover the vegetables with water and add the bouillon powder, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Then turn down, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
6. When the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh out of the shell and add it to the soup along with any juices that are in the pan.
7. Then it's in with the hand blender to take the soup to your desired consistency, check the seasoning and dig right in.
Enjoy!

* I measured the lentils because I had to count the points - the rest of the veg were free.
** I don't peel it first - I scrape the flesh out of the skin afterwards ... I don't know why - I'm rather strangely unique/special ... and not always in a good way!
*** My mother says there's no need for this but Saint Delia does it in her carrot and artichoke soup which is the basis for a lot of my soups and if Saint Delia says you have to do it ... then you do it!

9 comments:

Betty Carlson said...

Oh yum! I love soups with any type of orange squash. I'd never thought of roasting it first, though.

RE said...

I'm going to try this. Yesterday was bitter cold. If you can imagine that in the South!

Le laquet said...

Roasting it gives it a bit more sweetness Betty, and of course you've got the lovely caramelly bits to enjoy too!

Lei - when you say "bitter" what exactly are we talking? It's a fab soup though ... I only partly liquidised it, so it had lovely chunks of carrot and leek!

wineandroasts said...

:: low whistle ::

Looks delish! Will add these ingredients to the grocery list and try it next weekend.

wineandroasts said...

:: low whistle ::

Looks delish! Will add these ingredients to the grocery list and try it next weekend.

Zoooma said...

Mmm, that looks good! And I so love making things without a recipe, fun, if you know what you're doing, to just make it up as you go! Of course it's good to have an idea but then you just do whatever pleases ya!

I don't think I've ever had a soup like this and I just might have to give it a try!

Magpie said...

I think absolutely everything is better with that smoked paprika in it. Everything!

Le laquet said...

I left the squash/paprika out this week City girl ... not as good!

Me too Zooma recipes that just evolve.

I couldn't agree more Magpie see my above comment to City girl - just not the same!

More courgettes in the mix this week BUT eventually found/worked out the trick ... little touch of garam masala brought it all together!!

Cassoulet Cafe said...

Ooooh, I'm going to try out your recipe! I recently discovered I like butternut squash, but haven't cooked it myself yet.