Butternut squash and lentil soup

One advantage to living in Paris is that it’s almost impossible to take a bad photograph. Even a blurry picture of a rain-soaked shop front snapped just when a customer is struggling to open her umbrella evokes that je ne sais quoi about Paris. I still have a lot to learn, especially about indoor photography, but if there’s one lesson above all that I’ve learned, it’s that it’s impossible to make lentil soup pretty.

This winter I’ve eaten more homemade vegetable soup than I did in the last two decades. It’s cheap, fast and nutritious. And it’s a good way to counterbalance all those luxury brownies and cranberry, pecan and white chocolate cookies I’ve been eating.

This butternut squash and lentil soup is a riff on the lentil chestnut soup from www.justhungry.com. That recipe calls for stock cubes, which I rarely use, but water worked fine. Just make sure to add enough salt, pepper and herbs. I omitted the honey or molasses from the original recipe too, as I felt that the onions and squash lent enough sweetness. Ever since I made a Moroccan sweet potato salad with olives and cayenne pepper, I've loved the combination of hot pepper with sweet starchy vegetables, so I added a pinch of cayenne. Also, I don't have a blender, so wasn't able to purée the soup. It wasn’t pretty, but tasted great, especially with a dollop of crème fraiche on top.

Butternut squash and lentil soup

1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and examined for small stones or other debris

2 cups of peeled butternut squash cubes, either raw or cooked

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Butter or oil

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

big pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

Crème fraiche or sour cream for serving

In a large saucepan or pot, sauté the onion in about one tablespoon butter or oil until soft.  Add 6 cups of water, the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and add lentils. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. If using raw squash cubes, add them now and continue simmering for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the squash is cooked and the soup is thick. If the squash was already cooked, let the soup simmer without the squash for 15 to 20 minutes or until thick. Then add the cooked cubes and simmer for about 5 minutes until they are heated through. Fish out the bay leaf. If you want a smooth soup, purée it with a stick blender. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with crème fraiche or sour cream.

Comments

[anne]

A great soup, think I will give this one a try..we have eaten so many lentils lately, good for you anyway.!! I also have made more soups than before..healthy. We do not like pureed soups, we like ours with a bit of chunkieness to them so just use a Potato masher to lump it.

[Jenny N]

Alas...I cannot get near a squash or bean recipe unless I am ready to chow down all by my lonesome. Those two items are at the top of my family's "Will never ever eat willingly" list. And even tho' you are correct that lentil soup is not photogenic it still looks hearty, brothy and good. Enjoy it for me. What is the pic of at the bottom of the post?

[Jennifer K]

Hi Anne, I like my soups chunky too. I thought this apartment would have a potato masher, but couldn't find anything to mash it here or in the supermarket. Oh well, it was still good!

Hi Jenny N, I know I hated squash when I was a kid but I'm not sure how I felt about beans or lentils. I remember you said you make Tex-Mex (my favorite!) food, do your kids still refuse to eat beans prepared that way? The pic at the bottom is of G. Détou, the bulk baking goods shop I went to before Christmas when it was packed wall to wall!

[Jenny N]

They eat NO beans! I have an awesome recipe I found and fiddled with for Tex-Mex eggrolls that we all love and yes, I try to sneak in a few black beans....But just this last time I made it, my oldest Anna, who is usually game for some changes said, "Jenny, are the beans really necessary?" So next time no beans. Goodness.

[Jennifer K]

Jenny: Bummer. I love beans now, like in bean burritos, but I think I didn't really start to like them until I became an adult. I miss burritos :-( Tex-Mex eggrolls sound good!

[Jenny N]

Hello again Jennifer! I wanted to present/inform/warn you that I passed an award on to you for a Best Blog Award. I do love Paris and have enjoyed your perspective and love of Paris. A nice new blog buddy passed it to me and I gladly pass on the bloggy love though I realize the "awards" may be a sensitive subject for some bloggers. I hope it is not any kind of infringement. Let me know if there are any concerns. Cheers!

[Jenny N]

Duh. The award is on my blog, just posted (2/9/10)today.