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December 3, 2010

Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup

curried butternut squash red lentil soup

This soup introduced me to two things: Red Lentils & Cilantro Oil. I learned that red lentils are super deceptive. They don’t really stay Red or keep their lentil shape when cooked. However, they do thicken up a soup and add extra fiber & texture. I like that. Cilantro Oil? It’s my new favorite thing!  It’s a crucial component to this dish and it is INSANELY good when paired with my Killer Garlic Bread. Casey and I tested out a shameful amount of pieces with it! How could the garlic bread be anymore enticing??!! Cilantro oil! The best part is that it’s easy to make and such a fancy little accompaniment.  The soup instantly elevates to fancy status because of that special green oil. Who knew?

mmmmm

OK back to the soup. I’m usually skeptical of soups that have water as the base instead of chicken or vegetable stock. This soup shocked me. There was simply no need for stock because the curry and ginger packed the flavor punch it needed. The squeeze of lemon at the very end adds the slightest tang and beautifully balances the sweetness of the butternut squash. And let’s talk about the butternut squash for a second. It’s creamy! The way it squishes between your tongue and the roof of your mouth? Lovely! I spent a good 15 minutes sampling that feeling with each cube. Please try it and tell me I’m not weird. Ok umm I’m feeling self conscious now. Go make this soup!


And we’re off!

Peel the butternut squash.

peeling butternut squash

Grate the ginger.

grate!

Chop up your vegetables, onions and garlic. Take a deep breath. This is gonna be super easy! Don’t worry!

vegetable party

Put all your chopped goods in a pot with your melted butter & oil and start to brown. Takes 15 mins.

to brown!

Add in the curry. Cook for 2 minutes.

hello curry

Add in the red lentils & water.

red lentils

Now simmer with the lid on until it thickens and the lentils are tender.

water & lentils go in

Make your cilantro oil. Blend oil with cilantro & salt. How easy is that?

cilantro + oil

Such a nice green….

= cilantro oil!

Now that your soup has thickened, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Salt & pepper to taste.

soup's ready

Serve it up in a big bowl, and drizzle the top with cilantro oil.

curried butternut squash red lentil soup

The leftovers are AMAZING over basmati rice. You’ll see!

Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup

Serves 4

(recipe slightly adapted from Gourmet Quick Kitchen Magazine)

For the Soup:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the Cilantro Oil:

  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt the butter or margarine with olive oil in a 5 quart pot over medium high heat until the foam subsides. Add  the squash, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and grated ginger to the pot with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher and cook until browned-about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the curry powder & black pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lentils and water and simmer, covered for 25 to 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

To make cilantro oil:

In a blender or food processor blend the chopped cilantro and oil with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Tada! You’ve got cilantro oil.

Serve soup with drizzles of cilantro oil on top. Basmati rice is a recommended accompaniment.

  • Michelle

    We’re big fans of lentil soups and this recipe sounds wonderful. The cilantro oil is such a great twist that I can’t wait to give the whole thing a try.

  • Tamizn

    Wow that looks like a delish bowl of soup : )

  • Dana

    Red lentils are one of my very favorite things in the world. I love any kind of soup or dal with them and the spices you used are just perfect. I’m realizing it’s been a while since I made something with them!

  • Jessica

    Ooo, this sounds fab! Here I thought cilantro oil was going to be some fancy thing you bought, but I love that you made it.

  • Enjoy the moment | Not Quite Gourmet

    […] tired mess. I had hit a wall. To help me climb over this wall to a healthy and happy side I made a curried butternut squash and lentil soup. Lentils and squash? Oh, […]

  • Fall is in the air! › shutterbean

    […] Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup (with fancy pants cilantro oil!!) […]

  • Leslie

    YUm! Sounds delish and will be a definite dish next week! How many does this serve? I’m assuming four (with rice), so should I double it for an extra dinner to freeze?

  • Lynne Piil

    Thanks, Tracy!

    It is cold and rainy here tonight in Toronto and this was perfect for dinner! Yes, the cilantro did make it all ‘fancy pants’ too — loved it!

    Lynne

  • 2Health: How to take care of yourself. » Day 9: Make a Big Batch of Healthy Soup #30DaysofGOOD

    […] Barley soup, but am already looking forward to squash season, when I'll be rolling out this Curried Squash and Red Lentil recipe. It's a healthy lunch for a few days this week, and also a little cheap weekend […]

  • Day 9: Make a Big Batch of Healthy Soup #30DaysofGOOD « bann.me

    […] Barley soup, but am already looking forward to squash season, when I'll be rolling out this Curried Squash and Red Lentil recipe. It's a healthy lunch for a few days this week, and also a little cheap weekend […]

  • Evelyn

    What an AWESOME “November” soup! 🙂 We tried it tonight and LOVED it!!!! This will definitely be added into our regular rotation.

  • Mira C

    This recipe was DELICIOUS! I made this with Red Kuri squash as opposed to butternut, and it worked out great. The cilantro oil really pumped up the flavor!

    I have had trouble making good soups (how that is even possible I don’t know), and this was my first really successful one. Thank you so much, Tracy!

  • Mira C

    I know I already commented, but I had to tell you that I made this recipe SO MANY TIMES this winter. It is so delicious, and such a crowd favorite!

    When I get one of those cute hand-written recipe boxes that everyone’s grandma had, this will be one of the first to go in!

  • ballers blog

    […] Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup […]

  • Kendall

    I’ve been home sick over a week with horrible bronchitis and today I finally felt like cooking, made myself this soup and it’s so fabulous! Thanks I love it with the cilantro oil great combination!

  • Katie

    How should I adjust the recipe if I’m not using butternut squash and if I’m using canned lentils instead of dried uncooked ones?

    Thank you! I’m planning to try out the recipe tomorrow

  • Meghan

    I made this tonight before my workout and let it meld while I was out. It is quite good. I might have overdone it on the ginger a little, but the cilantro oil balances it out. By the way– do you buy herbs at TJ’s? That’s where I got my cilantro and it was a little icky and didn’t have a very deep flavor.

  • 6 Types of Squash to Cook this Fall| Luvo

    […] Another very common variety, at least where I live. Butternut squash has a distinctive bell shape and pale peachy color. It has a sweet taste and roasts and sautés very well. It’s the key ingredient in my favorite soup recipe ever by a mile. […]

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