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Chunky Black Lentil Chili

Chunky Black Lentil Chili

Have I mentioned how much I love lentils? Probably, and I have a number of lentil recipes here on my site that I’ll share at the end of this! I especially love black and red lentils, for their vibrant color and their additional antioxidants. They’re 

How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut by the Jar

How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut by the Jar

I’ve previously shown you how to make big batch sauerkraut and here I show you how easy it is to make it by the quart sized jar. Easy, good for you, and delicious!

Roasted Squash and Carrot Soup with Red Lentils

Roasted Squash and Carrot Soup with Red Lentils

This is a power-packed soup made with antioxidant-rich winter squash, carrots, red lentils, ginger, garlic, and immunity-boosting spices. It’s a rich, flavorful soup and the spices can be adjusted to suit your personal taste. I roast the vegetables for a deep, caramelized flavor that pairs well with the spices.

Don’t get too hung up on the size of your squash, carrots, and onions here; the idea is to have a balanced mix but if your squash is a little on the large size, that’s fine and if your carrots are small, just add an extra one or two.

Also, make note of the fact the veggies may not be completely softened when they come out of the oven but they’ll finish cooking in the soup. They’ll also be charred a bit on some sides and edges and that’s what you want; that’s what adds the deep, rich flavor to this soup.

lola rugula roasted winter squash and carrot soup with lentils recipe

Spicy Roasted Squash and Carrot Soup with Red Lentils Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Small to medium winter squash such as butterkin, kabocha, carnival, acorn, etc.
  • 4 Medium carrots, scrubbed or peeled and tops removed
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled
  • 4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled but root tips removed (this will make squeezing it out easier once it’s roasted)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided (you’ll use 2 Tablespoons for roasting the veggies and 1 for making the soup itself)
  • 1 teaspoon chooped ginger
  • 4 Cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can (13.5 – 14 oz.) Unsweetened coconut milk (make sure to shake the can vigorously before opening)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 Cup red lentils
  • Fresh Cilantro, for serving
lola rugula roasted winter squash and carrot soup with lentils recipe

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400°
  • Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds and discard
  • Cut each carrot into 2-3 big pieces
  • Cut onion in half
  • Place squash, carrots, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet or roasting pan
  • Brush inside of squash with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and flip over so the halves are skin-side down
  • Toss carrots and onions with 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Add garlic to pan and ensure that everything is in a single layer
  • Roast veggies for 30 minutes
  • Turn squash over and toss the veggies
  • Return to oven and cook 15 minutes more
  • Remove from oven and let cool about 15 minutes
  • While the veggies are cooling, heat the final Tablespoon of olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat
  • Add ginger, stir, and cook about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Add broth, coconut milk, spices, salt, and pepper
  • Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add it to the stockpot
  • Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and add it
  • Add carrots and onions
  • Stir everything together, bring to a steady simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Add red lentils and simmer about 20 minutes more.
  • Remove from heat and let cool about 15 minutes before immersion blending until smooth and creamy
  • Serve with chopped fresh cilantro on top (some crusty bread on the side never hurts, either)
lola rugula roasted winter squash and carrot soup with lentils recipe

This soup is amazing and takes advantage of winter squash in a big way. The lentils add a boost of protein, fiber, potassium, and iron. The spices add an extra immunity boost and the coconut milk keeps this dairy-free. Not a bad combo, eh?

Adjust the spices as you wish – I honestly make mine a little spicier than this recipe calls for but I feel it’s a safe starting point for anyone not accustomed to spicier dishes. Turmeric and cayenne are anti-inflammatory spices so the more of them you can handle, the better. If you despise ginger, you can omit it but again, it’s a good immunity boost; in the big scheme of this soup, you don’t taste the bit that’s added at all.

Eat well and don’t be afraid to play with your food!

lola rugula roasted winter squash and carrot soup with lentils recipe

Blackened Snapper Fillets

Blackened Snapper Fillets

This delicious blackened red snapper is incredibly easy to make, even on a busy weeknight.

Homemade Chipotle Hot Sauce

Homemade Chipotle Hot Sauce

This homemade hot sauce has a smokey heat with tons of flavor…and heat. You’ve been warned.

Creamy Salmon Bisque

Creamy Salmon Bisque

We recently had a dip of temperatures into the 60’s, which is pretty cool for September here, so of course, my mind immediately turned to soup. This is a pretty easy recipe; even easier if you have leftover roasted or pan-fried salmon, in which case you can skip the beginning portion of this and go right to the soup-making part.

I love the creaminess of this soup and, if you’re looking for a dairy-free recipe, swap out the heavy cream for coconut milk, which is just as delicious in this. There’s actually a number of substitutions you can make with this recipe, which I’ll highlight for you at the end. If you’ve followed me for a while, then you know I like to make things with what I have on hand so my recipes are often changed by what I have in my fridge and pantry.

If you like seafood bisques, this one’s a keeper and you might also enjoy my lobster bisque recipe as well.

Creamy Salmon Bisque Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. salmon, skin on or removed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. grapeseed or olive oil
  • 2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 celery ribs, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 of a white or yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 pinch smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. fresh, chopped dill, plus a few small fronds for serving

Directions

  • Heat a stockpot over medium heat.
  • Add oil and heat until it starts to shimmer, about 1 minute.
  • Season salmon with salt and pepper.
  • If using salmon with skin, carefully place skin side down in hot oil (if not using salmon with skin, you can start with either side).
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes.
  • Using a spatula, slide it in between the salmon and skin; they should easily separate. Move the salmon temporarily to a plate, scrape up the skin with the spatula and discard.
  • Return salmon to pan, uncooked side down, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Transfer salmon back to plate (it will likely not be fully cooked at this point)
  • Drain off all but 1 Tbsp. of the oil and salmon drippings.
  • Place pan with the remaining oil back on the heat and bring back to a shimmer.
  • Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
  • Add vegetable stock, tomato sauce, bay leaf, smoked paprika, brandy, and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
  • Add salmon and any remaining juices on plate to the pot, breaking the salmon up into pieces as you go.
  • Partially cover pan and simmer about 50 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • Remove bay leaf and discard.
  • Using an immersion blender (or food processor) blend for about 5 minutes.
  • Heat blended bisque back to a simmer, stir in heavy cream, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in chopped dill.
  • Serve with extra dill on top.

I love that this is packed with veggies plus the healthy omega-3 and protein benefits of salmon. As I pointed out at the beginning of my post, you can swap out the heavy cream for coconut milk if you’re looking for a dairy-free recipe or one that’s a little healthier even. As I always like to say, don’t be afraid to play with your food.

Here are a few other substitutions you can make:

  • If you don’t have tomato sauce, add a tablespoon of tomato paste
  • If you don’t have veggie stock, you can sub in chicken stock instead.
  • Sherry will work instead of brandy, and I’ve used a dry white wine here as well.
  • If you’d like to omit the alcohol altogether, just add more stock to replace it.
  • Fresh basil instead of dill is also really lovely with this.

And there you have it! A luscious salmon bisque with a variety of options to make it with. Enjoy!

Sesame Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

Sesame Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

Looking for a veggie-centric stir fry? This IS the recipe!