blissful eats with tina jeffers: Coconut, squash and red lentil soup

One of my very good friends just had a baby and she loves, curries, soups and stews so I knew that I wanted to make something special for her that freezes and reheats well.  There is nothing as comforting as a bowl of soup.  Now that the weather is changing I’m so excited to experiment wit all the flavors that fall brings.  Some of my favorite ingredients to work with are Pumpkins, winter squash and apples.  This is a variation on a favorite soup that I adapted from 101 cookbooks.  A base of winter squash and tomatoes is combined with coconut milk, curry paste and red lentils resulting in a rich creamy soup that has the added benefit of being vegan. 

Coconut, squash and red lentil soup

Ingredients: 

1 onion finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds winter squash (butternut, red kuri, delicate), peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 tablespoon freshly peeled and minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon red curry paste

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons salt

1 15-ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups red lentils

7 cups water

1 15-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices, and lime wedges for serving

Method:

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon and curry paste and continue to cook for a few more minutes until the mixture is fragrant.  Add the tomatoes, water, coconut milk, lentils and squash and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the squash is tender adding the lime juice at the end of cooking.  Taste and adjust with more salt and lime juice if desired.  Serve the soup and top with the cilantro, jalapeno slices and lime slices.