Creamy, Hearty Butternut Squash Soup
2 pounds butternut squash, cut lengthwise and remove seeds
olive oil
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/2 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 to 2 bay leaves
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season butternut squash with olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Roast in oven 40 minutes, or until soft. Set aside and let cool, then skin. Cut into chunks.
2. Grind raw cashews in a food processor or blender until as fine as possible. Add the half cup of water and blend the two into a smooth cashew cream. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil In a large soup pot over medium heat. Add and saute the onions, carrot, celery, and black pepper until vegetables are soft.
4. To the pot add the cubed squash, veggie broth, lentils, and the bay leaf. Stirring occasionally, simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the cashew cream, and return to a boil. Turn heat off, and puree soup with a hand held (immersion) blender or in batches in a regular blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Enjoy!
Source of recipe: I heavily adapted it from a recipe that came with my butternut squash at the Farmer's Market.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Loved this recipe. To save time I cooked the lentils, carrots, onions, etc, while the squash was baking. I mixed the squash in, along with the cashew cream, left together a few minutes and buzzed in blender. I think it tasted really good!
This is so good! I had a little trouble blending it, but that was probably because I was impatient and didn't cook the carrots and celery long enough. But I like the little chunks anyway! I used precooked garbanzo beans (because I had leftovers) instead of lentils, so I only let the pot simmer for about 10 minutes. I also left the skin on the squash, and I don't even notice it. I also omitted the cashews and intended to add some almond milk at the end, but it was so good without it that I didn't add any. This soup is lovely! Lots of flavor, and now I am excited to try other savory butternut squash recipes!
Wonderful! So delicious. I used walnuts instead of cashews as I didn't have any on hand but it made no difference, it was still a huge hit. Loved it. Thanks!
Excellent soup! I made the following changes...I microwaved the squash instead of baking it and rather than using raw cashews I blended up a can of white kidney beans instead. Everything else stayed the same. Thanks!
The flavor of this soup is delicately sweet and rich, and the cashews and lentils add a little extra fiber and protein to keep you full longer. I made a big pot last night for supper, with some mushroom-quinoa and roasted broccoli on the side. Perfect for Fall ;)b