Carrot, Squash, and Lentil Soup

I have really been trying to step out of my soup comfort zone lately, which means wading into the waters of lentil soup. Lentil soup is always one I’ve avoided because when it’s bad, it’s real bad. Still I took the leap. I wanted something that was hearty and would warm me in the late days of fall but would also support digestion and immune health. To achieve that I paired the wonderful hearty green lentils with the sweetness of winter squash and carrots, the zing of turmeric and ginger, and the earthy savor of rosemary and sage.

What came together was a beautiful fall soup that filled my belly with joy and nutrition. This pairs well with flatbread like naan or a more crusty brown bread. It makes about 4 to 6 servings!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium winter squash – deseeded and quartered*
• 1 large sweet onion – quartered
• 3 medium carrots – cut into 2 inch chunks and halved
• 1 large macintosh apple – quartered
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 inch piece of turmeric**
• 1 thumb of ginger**
• 1 yellow onion
• 3/4 cup green lentils
• 1 1/2 cups water plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
• pepper to taste.

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F
2. Place the deseeded and quartered squash on a metal baking dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp. salt – bake for 25 minutes
3. Add carrots, apple, onion, garlic, and remaining olive oil to the baking sheet. Stir and bake for an additional 15 minutes until everything is tender (think mashable)
4. Set vegetables aside to cool completely
5. Meanwhile combine lentils, salt and water in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, adding more water as needed.
6. Allow lentils to cool completely.
7. Transfer the lentils, vegetables and remaining ingredients into a food processor. Puree until smooth.
8. Transfer this mixture back to the stove and heat, adding water or almond milk as needed to get your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with your favorite soup bread and maybe even a little fresh lemon juice!

Enjoy!

Notes:
*I used a red curry squash originally, but most darker flesh sweet squashes will do (e.g. koginut, honeynut, butternut, etc.)