By taking advantage of the butternut squashes' long shelf life, this soup can be prepared throughout the long, wintry months (if you have them) with squashes acquired during the late summer or early fall. Look for squashes with long necks and small seed bulbs (the more phallic the better) as these will provide more useable flesh.
[serves 4 + leftovers]
the stuff:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & cubed
1 fennel bulb, diced (stalks & root end removed)
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 onion, diced
0.5 to 1 cup split red lentils, washed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
0.25 tsp chili powder
0.5 tsp curry powder (optional)
salt & pepper
soup base (optional)
the steps:
In an appropriately sized soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat until "shimmering".
Add the carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt to the pot and saute for about 8 minutes or until the onion starts to take on a bit of color - stir often.
Add the fennel and squash to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes - stir often.
Add the bay leaf, thyme, and enough water to cover everything by about 2 inches. Give the pot a good stir, increase the heat to medium-high, and wait for a steady simmer (no boiling).
When the water begins to simmer add the lentils and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes - stir occasionally.
Check to make sure the ingredients are all very soft; if not, keep cooking and checking.
Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf.
Process everything into a uniform soup with a stand blender*, immersion blender**, or potato masher***.
Add the chili powder and curry powder (is using) to the soup, judge the flavor, and adjust accordingly with salt, pepper, or your preferred soup base.
the lessons:
The butternut squash seeds can be rinsed, salted, and roasted just like pumpkin seeds.
Reserve the stalks (not the fronds) of the fennel bulb for use in making stock.
* smoothest results but who wants to clean a goddamn blender
** fairly smooth with easy cleanup but burning hot liquid will likely be flung everywhere
*** this is an absolute shit method and I probably shouldn't even mention it
Comments