Squash & Lentil Soup Recipe by Christa de Ridder - Ayurveda Health Counsellor
Severin Rolland-BergeNourishing Squash & Lentil Soup
Christa de Ridder - Ayurveda Health Counsellor
Instagram: Christade.Ridder
Website: Sage & Saints
Vegan / Gluten-free
"Cozy Squash & Lentil Soup: A Hug in a Bowl"
Prep time 30 min
Cook time 45 min
Total time 75 min
Servings 8-10
Ingredients
● 1 small to medium butternut squash
● 3 medium carrots
● 3 tbsp avocado oil
● 1 tsp salt
● 2 tbsp ghee
● 1 medium onion
● 2-inch ginger
● 1/2 tsp turmeric
● 1 tsp coriander powder
● 2 litres veg broth
● 1 can coconut milk
● salt to taste
● parsley for garnish
● black pepper
● squash seeds (optional)
Directions
● Preheat your oven to 400F degrees and put a rack in the centre of the oven.
● Cut the squash in cubes, take off the skin. Peel the carrots and cut in cubes. Add both to a larger bowl with the oil and salt. Mix and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.
● Meanwhile, finely dice an onion, and mince the ginger.
● Add the onion to a large pot heated with 2 tbsp of ghee and fry for 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking.
● Add the ginger and the spice, stir.
● Add the lentils, stir.
● Add the broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is done.
● Turn off the stove and gas, and add the squash and carrots to the soup. Let everything cool off a bit for about 10 minutes before you add it to a blender or use a immersion blender. Blend it until smooth and add salt to taste.
● Divide in bowls and garnish with parsley, black pepper, and a few seeds.
● Eat with a slice of artisan bread. Yum!
DOSHAS:
● Vata: This warming, and grounding soup is excellent for vata in Fall and Winter season. The sweet tastes are nourishing, and satisfying, and this soup is easy to digest.
● Pitta: The sweet taste is filling and nourishing for pitta. Giving them lots of energy while also grounding and encouraging them to slow down. The sweet taste is also slightly cooling, which is great for the hot pitta. Omit the black pepper for less heat.
● Kapha: Kaphas might want to omit the butternut squash for a lighter version of this, or add a hand full of spinach to add more bitter taste. Too much sweet taste, even natural, can weigh down kapha. Suggested to add a light winter green salad with this.
Tastes:
In Ayurvedic cooking, we strive to balance all 6 tastes in one dish.
Sweet: butternut squash, carrots, onion, coconut milk, ghee, avocado oil
Sour: x
Salty: salt
Pungent: ginger, black pepper
Bitter: turmeric, coriander powder, parsley
Astringent: lentils
Season:
In Ayurvedic cooking, we strive to cook with the seasons for optimal balance.
Fall season - vata season
This season has dry, cold, and light (vata) qualities which we balance with moist, oily, warm, and heavier foods.
Timesaving Meal Prep Tips:
This is such a lovely soup to serve for lunch with a slice of bread or for dinner with rice or other grain.
Make this soup on a Sunday, and you will have several days of dinner and lunch.
You could roast the squash and carrots on Sunday and make the soup on the day of.
Optional to freeze a portion of the soup for later. Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Substitutes:
● Use any squash you have or sweet potato
● Use other spices like cumin, curry powder, garam masala or whatever you have. Can even be Italian herbs.
● Use cilantro instead of parsley
● Use chicken or beef broth instead of veg
● Use any oils or butter you have to cook with
● Use heavy cream instead of coconut milk
Grocery list
Vegetables, fruits & herbs
● 1 small butternut squash
● 3 medium carrots
● 1 medium onion
● 2-inch ginger
● small bunch of parsley
● vegetable broth (1 cube)
Proteins
1 cup red lentils
Fats
● avocado oil
● ghee
● coconut milk
Spices
● turmeric
● coriander powder
● salt
● black pepper
