High in Vitamin C and iron this nutritionally dense soup will keep you warm both inside and out. Both these micronutrients aid each other when being absorbed by the body making it the perfect combination. Using a home-made stock will intensify its already flavourful taste. With every mouthful you can taste the warmth of an autumn sky. If not for the whole family its simple and easy recipe is great for meal prepping, ready for a long week at work.
Allergens: Nuts
I’ve made many soups in my time cooking, so the process was nothing new to me. The key thing I had to figure out was the combination of flavours. I wanted flavour as well as something that would catch the eye, so I chose butternut squash and red lentils. These two ingredients left the soup with the addition of turmeric gave the soup a bright yellow colour which was very pleasing for me as I’d achieved my goal.
I created the recipe before I created the dish, this gave me a good foundation to work from, adjusting if I felt necessary. After a few adjustments during the preparation and post blending, I was very satisfied with the outcome. Hopefully this shows in the finished product. A day before I made such a powerful veg stock that really gave the soup more bounce (check out the recipe at the end). Overall, I felt very accomplished following my recipe step by step and creating a lovely autumn soup.
Ingredients
10ml Olive Oil (optional)
100g Onion, sliced (without root and skin)
5g Garlic, chopped
2g thyme (soft stems and leaves only)
2g Rosemary (leaves only)
400g Butternut Squash, chopped (peeled and de-seeded)
125g Red Lentils, wash thoroughly and soak in warm water
1l Veg Stock
2.5g Turmeric
1g Chilli Flakes
5g Sea Salt
4 turns of a Black Pepper Mill
10g Cashew Nuts (optional)
Method
1. Prep all the ingredients and leave to one side.
2. Add the olive oil to a stock pot/deep pot and turn on the hob to a med-high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and stir quickly. Add 2.5g salt, garlic, rosemary and thyme, then stir quickly again.
4. Turn down the heat (low-med), cover for 5 mins or until translucent. Stirring occasionally to stop any sticking. Whilst they’re cooking strain and wash the lentils once more.
5. Once cooked, turn the heat up (med-high) then add the squash and lentils. Stir well to integrate into the mix.
6. Turn down the heat (low-med), cover and cook for 8 mins. Stirring often to stop the lentils from sticking.
7. Add the turmeric, chilli flakes, black pepper and rest of the salt to the pot, then cover cook for a further 2 mins. Add the veg stock then turn the heat up (med-high) and bring to the boil. Once boiling turn down the heat (low) and simmer for 30mins or until both the squash and lentils are cooked.
8. Taste, adding more salt if necessary. Add the cashew nuts.
9. Leave to stand for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, to cool slightly before blending. Fill your blender half way so it doesn’t overflow or spray everywhere!
10. Once blended, enjoy straight away! Alternatively, leave to cool fully before refrigerating or freezing for future use.
Notes: The cashews will give your soup a creamier texture to really impress your family/friends! To save time boil your stock up whilst the veg is cooking. If you choose not to use oil skip step 2 and just heat the pan up and use a splash of water instead.
Vegetable Stock
If you have the time to make this veg stock, it adds an intense flavour to any soup you make in the future. Using fresh organic ingredients its high nutritional content makes great medicine for your body. Why settle for a single recipe when you can make lots and freeze for later use! By all means add more flavours, there are no rules!
Yields 2L
Ingredients
20sml Olive Oil (optional)
400g Onions thinly sliced (without skin and root)
5g Sea Salt
10g Garlic chopped
5g Thyme chopped
400g Carrots roughly chopped (with skin)
250g Leeks sliced (without root)
2 Sage Leaves
2 Bay Leaves
3L Water
Optional Extras:
100g Fennel sliced (without root)
250g Celery Stalks chopped (without root)
5g Coriander Seeds
5g Fennel Seeds
Method
1. Prep all the ingredients and leave to one side.
2. Add the olive oil to a stock pot and turn on the hob to a med-high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and stir quickly. Add the salt, garlic and thyme then stir quickly again.
4. Turn down the heat (low-med), cover for 5 mins or until the onions are translucent. Stirring occasionally to stop any sticking.
5. Once cooked, turn the heat up (med-high) then add the remaining veg except the sage and bay leaves. Stir well to integrate all veg into the mix.
6. Turn down the heat (low-med), cover and cook until soft (5-10mins). Whilst the veg is cooking boil 2 litres of water in the kettle.
7. Add the boiled water then the sage and bay leaves to the pot. Turn the heat up (med-high) and bring to the boil. Once boiled turn down the heat (low) and simmer for 30mins.
8. Leave to stand for 15 mins before straining for a sieve or colander. *DO NOT throw the veg just yet! – look at notes.
9. Taste, adding more salt if necessary.
10. Once cooled completely, you can use straight away or freeze for future use.
Notes: If you choose not to use oil skip step 2 and just heat the pan up. The size of the veg will determine how long it takes to cook through before adding water. Boiling the kettle will significantly reduce the time it takes for the water to boil in the pot. What straining equipment you use is determined by the size of your chopped veg.
If you would like to use the optional extras add with step 5.
*If you’re not a fan of waste, remove the bay leaves and blend the veg with some of the stock to make a gorgeous puree, that will add so much to your weekly dinners. Alternatively, this would be a great substitute for baby food.