Roasted Squash, Garlic and Red Lentil Soup
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 2:18PM 
There are three things in life you can be certain of: death, taxes and there will be squash and garlic in your winter CSA box.
Finn and Cate helped harvest the garlic on the farm this year and every time we get some in our box they ask if they are the bulbs they helped pick. Naturally I tell them they were, even though I really have absolutely no idea whether they were or not. What usually follows is a discussion of who picked which bulb, what said bulb shall be named and then a celebratory dance around the kitchen table. Sometimes it feels kind of weird preparing to roast 'Sam' while the two or them dance around me singing “off with his head, off with his head”. Normal? Right.
An ambercup squash came in our CSA this week and it was just begging to be roasted. I am sure a butternut or buttercup squash would work in this soup just as well. And I know three heads of garlic seem like a lot for one pot of soup, but trust me on this one. Roasted garlic is quite mellow and not at all overpowering. Just a little note, I never peel my squash before roasting. I just give it a good wash, cut it into wedges and plop it on a baking sheet. Once roasted and cooled, the skin just peels right off.
Roasted Squash, Garlic and Red Lentil Soup
Serves 6
3 heads garlic
¾ teaspoon olive oil
sea salt
1½ to 2 lb winter squash
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
6 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Remove loose skin from garlic and cut the tops off so that the top of each clove is exposed. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle each head with ¼ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Cut into 2-3 inch wedges and place on the same baking sheet. Roast at 375° for 35 minutes or until softened. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a large pot, melt the coconut oil. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in nutmeg and cook for about 30 seconds. Add water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. While the lentils are cooking, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and set aside. Remove the skin from the squash and set aside. Once the lentils are cooked, add the roasted garlic and squash to the pot. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held blender until smooth. Or pour into a food processor or blender, process until smooth and return to the pot. Adjust seasoning and add a bit more water if the soup is a bit too thick for you.
gluten-free, soup, vegan in Recipes
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