Puréed Winter Squash and Red Lentil Soup

I'm not sure whether changing the liquid in the recipe will improve it. I look forward to hearing what you discover. I am quite sure that the poisonous injection of disrespectful responses to your mild query will make for a nasty taste on this message board.

I noticed the chicken stock tete a tete and would like to suggest that maybe a live chicken might "enliven" the soup since dead chicken seems to bring out the militancy seen in many vegetarians and lord help us if the gluten free crowd chimes in.

Being an experienced Indian cook, I was intrigued by this recipe. I instinctively cut the liquid in half, as you can always add more later - I might have added a cup at the end to thin it slightly. Turned out very well with spicing as indicated. Delicate rather than strong spicing like an Indian dish, but that was fine. I weighed diced squash and used 1.5 lb. of cubes. Cup measurement could vary depending on size of cubes (smaller cubes pack more densely).

I think it tastes best with a runcible spoon, after seasoning with 2oz of frim-fram sauce, a fistful of oss-en-fay - and a sneeze of sha fafa on the side.

I was intrigued by this recipe when I first saw it but am glad I came here to read about others' experiences. Based on the comments, I adapted the recipe as follows and was very pleased with the result: increased squash to 2 lbs., decreased lentils to 1/2 c., used 1 qt. chicken broth for the liquid, sauteed 1 chopped apple along with the onions, used ground spices: 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. coriander, 1/8 tsp. mustard, pinch each of cloves and cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. salt.

Delicious soup. I roasted the squash about 30 to make easier to peal. Roasting also adds flavor and can be done a day or so in advance. I used one medium squash, did not measure cups after cubing it. Made the soup as described using cilantro as finisher along with olive oil and lemon juice. Another time served it with yogurt garnish. Good both ways. It would be good with chicken broth (as others have suggested), but I used water and found the flavor to be excellent.

Red lentils disintegrate to a puree after just a few minutes of simmering. There is no need to soak them.

This soup was delicious. I had read others' comments so I used 5 cups of squash cubes, 1 cup of lentils and only 4 cups of water. After the squash was tender I pureed the soup with an immersion blender and then let it simmer uncovered for another half hour to make it even thicker. I did use the mustard seeds and cumin seeds at the end, which definitely added flavor and I served the soup with sour cream and crostini with melted Gruyere cheese.

You don't have to be a vegetarian to eschew meat from time to time. Just sayin'. Remember that Marcella Hazan noted that sometimes water was simply the right liquid to use.

To make it even quicker, I purchased canned, organic butternut squash and canned, organic lentils.

Heat, stir in spices, blend and serve. Who needs Campbells?

I made this last night. Added 1 can lite coconut milk for a more creamy texture. Garnished with chives as we had no cilantro.

So this ended up being a delicious dish...many thanks to the previous comments. The trick was to increase spices considerably. I added black mustard, coriander, and fennel seeds, as well as much more ginger and jalapeño. The final dose of seeds toasted in ghee was awesome.

As for the additional water, one kind of needs to eyeball it to be honest...I think I ended up with about 75% of the called-for amount.

Overall, this was very well-received!

"More flavor"? Did you read the recipe? This has a plenitude of flavors: garlic, onion, ginger, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and the squash and lentils. Let the ingredients shine! (PS-The lack of animal protein really won't kill you.)

A hefty splash of balsamic vinegar brightens this soup.

I use half chicken stock, half water to make an Indian-spiced lentil soup that my family adores. I find that one quart of stock is perfect for adding just a gentle depth to the soup, and it goes crazy well with the spices. Also, try a little ground coriander for some earthiness!