By Jeanne Tennis
Here’s a delicious and healthy butternut squash soup recipe that’s perfect for the fall-winter season:
Ginger Lentil Butternut Squash Soup (Seasonal, plant-based and gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-2 celery stalks, diced
- 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil or water to sauté
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric (dried powder or fresh grated root)
- 2 Tablespoons of grated, fresh ginger root
- 1-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 2 cups-plus butternut squash, peeled and cubed (or pumpkin or squash of choice)
- 6 cups of vegetable stock (may be store-bought or homemade. I often use vegetable bouillon)
- ½ cup red lentils
- Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
In large pot, sauté the onion with the water or oil until translucent, add the celery, turmeric, garlic, ginger root and sage and sauté those for an additional 2 to 4 minutes. (Note that water sautéing may require up to 4 to 6 tablespoons of water.)
Add cubed squash, vegetable stock and lentils and bring to boil. The amount of vegetable stock needed depends on the size and amount of your squash. Adjust accordingly.
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes
Using a hand blender or immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.
Garnish with fresh parsley, a sprinkle of nutmeg and/or roasted pumpkin seeds
Recipe courtesy of The Key to Balance.
Chef Jeanne Tennis, a vegan chef and certified macrobiotic health coach who operates The Key to Balance in Farmington, has taught cooking classes on anti-inflammatory diet at Hartford HealthCare’s Bone & Joint Institute.