Winter Soup

Tuesdays and Thursdays I am always running. After I pick the boys up from school, we have a small amount of time at home before we need to jump into the car and run to the city for a class. By the time we get back, it's 7:00 and bedtime is looming. If dinner is not ready when we get home, the boys are up way too late.

Yesterday, my solution was soup. While the boys are at school, I had time to pull it all together and pop it into the crock pot or a ceramic pot in the oven, covered, on low and it was waiting for us when we got home. It was orange, happy, warm, and totally satisfying.

Winter Soup Recipe


I roasted up two small butternut squash I had sitting around, but any squash or root vegetable would do. Just toss in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pop them onto a baking sheet in the oven at 190ºC (375ºF) for 40-60 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are golden. I usually line the pan with parchment paper; this makes clean-up a snap because the pan is clean and the paper can be recycled.

The white bits are quinoa, the round orange bits are the red lentils and the rest of the orange is the squash.

RECIPE: Winter Soup With Squash & Lentils

Method:
> Put it all in the pot and simmer over low heat until you are ready to eat
> For a smoother texture, blend with an immersion blender or a regular blender
> Can be served with bits of leftover meat, thawed peas and corn for colour and texture, or a small dollop of sour cream or cream cheese

Salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!