I pretty much adore lentils–especially the delicate earthy-flavored red/orange ones.
I can’t remember where I had my first taste of lentils. I’m sure it was after I was an adult. I’m thinking it was probably in India when our guide, Krishan, took us into his home to share a meal. There, I remember marveling at his wife’s seemingly-never ending collection of jars filled with colorful pulses (lentils, beans and peas) displayed on her counter. Later, I remember seeing women sitting on the roadside in the Indian countryside deftly maneuvering large round wicker baskets so as to toss freshly-grown lentils into the air to winnow out the stones.
Lentil dishes abound there and have for centuries. Food historians believe they were one of the world’s earliest domesticated crops.
The little disk-shaped legumes didn’t become popular here until World War II when they were an economic and high-protein meat substitute. Today, most American lentil production is centered in the Pacific Northwest.
Lentils are very good for you, with some calling them “the world’s oldest health food.” A half cup of lentils packs 12 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber into a scant 140 calories!
This Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk is a Melissa Clark recipe from her great cookbook, Dinner–Changing the Game. The cookbook is available through your local bookstore or on Amazon here.
This soup is delicious, non-dairy and full of heathy ingredients. In Clark’s version, you can add optional fresh baby spinach to ramp its healthy credentials.
Here is the soup as I prepared (and enjoyed) it in my kitchen. (You can find a number of other great lentil recipes on Blue Cayenne. Just type “lentils” into the search box on this page.)
Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup With Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 onions (diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (diced)
- 2 T. tomato paste
- 2 t. ground cumin
- Pinch of cayenne (generous if you enjoy a little heat)
- 3/4 t. salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 12 oz. butternut squash (peeled and diced)
- 1 C. red lentils
- 6 C. vegetable stock
- 1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1 t. lime zest (grated)
- Fresh lime juice to taste
- 5 oz. fresh baby spinach (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Saute onions and garlic in heated olive oil until they are softened. Add tomato paste, cumin, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Stir ingredients well and continue to cook for several more minutes.
- Step 2 Add squash,rinsed lentils (no need to soak), and 6 cups of vegetable broth to the onion mixture. Stir, bring to a boil. Once the broth boils, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the squash and lentils are soft.
- Step 3 Add the coconut milk and stir well to mix. Adjust seasonings.
- Step 4 Pour some of the soup into your blender or use an immersion blender to coarsely blend the soup to the texture you enjoy. Stir in lime zest and fresh spinach (optional).
- Step 5 Serve hot with a little lime juice stirred in to your taste. Enjoy!
