Spiced Lentil Soup with Roasted Beets & Delicata Squash

Stressful times call for your favorite recipe to help ease distress. This is mine. I make many versions of this spiced lentil soup and this one did not disappoint. 

I did take half a second to ponder the decision of putting delicata squash into soup. It was aging rapidly though and I knew I had to use it as soon as possible. If it was an epic fail, well, that would be okay I decided.

Delicata squash in soup is absolutely amazing. The roasted meat is tender and sweet, while the peel is just slightly chewy and caramelized. It's a really wonderful addition. The roasted beets in the soup dyed it a deep magenta, the longer it sat. I'm going to be putting delicata in all my soups now!

“Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. ”

— Cesar Chavez

You need this soup in your life. Maybe as a dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas? It would be perfect! 

Spiced Lentil Soup with Roasted Beets & Delicata Squash

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This is one of my favorite soups. Based with creamy coconut milk, red lentils mingle with roasted beets and caramelized delicata squash. Spiced with tantalizing aromatics like cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Notes: Feel free to leave out the beets if you’re anti-beets. Any lentil can be used to the cooking time may need to be increased if not using red lentils.

Ingredients

• 2 medium whole beets, scrubbed and ends trimmed
• 1 delicata squash, washed and diced
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (I like unrefined)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
• Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 15 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. vegan sugar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap the whole, scrubbed beets loosely in tinfoil. Place on a baking sheet. Toss the diced squash in olive oil and scatter on the same baking sheet. Roast at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Stir the squash at 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the squash to bowl for later and turn over the beets. Allow the beets to cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, until fork tender. Remove when done and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, bring the lentils and vegetable broth to a boil, stirring occasionally. Make sure to watch it or it could boil over. Reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat.
3. In a medium frying pan, heat the coconut oil over low. Add the onion and garlic and sauté a few minutes. Next, add in the turmeric through and including the nutmeg, stirring well and scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Sauté for about 8 minutes, until the onion begins to brown.
4. Once lentils are done, add the coconut milk through and including the salt to the lentils and broth. Also, add the squash and the onion mixture. When the beets are cooled, dice and add to the soup. Stir well to combine.
5. Serve hot, garnished with broccoli sprouts like me (if you wish!)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 00:45
Total time: 01:00
Yield: 6 servings

SAVE MONEY!

I buy my canned coconut milk here.

It’s only $2.20 per can vs $4 per can at my local grocery store Fred Meyer!

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More Lentil Soup Recipes

Remarkable Root Soup

Thai Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

Copycat Amy's Lentil Soup

Creamy Spiced Coconut Lentil Soup

Look who's all snuggled up like a bug in a rug! Bob doesn't appreciate the crashing wind. Still not a single flake of snow. I'll keep you updated. I heard on the news, it'll be a new record for southcentral Alaska in November for snowfall...or lack thereof. So depressing, you guys.

Good Deed of The Day

This story is insane. The cast of Walking Dead is apparently so completely grossed out by all the fake bloody flesh, gore, and cannibalism on the show that the entire cast is going vegan and vegetarian! Check out the whole store here. 

Dutch Word of The Day

Insane --> krankzinnig (crank-zin-igh)

A Book Review of "Veganish"

Veganish by Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose, is admittedly a bit of a quandary to me.

Still though, you know? I want to like this book. Truely. Any resource that helps shine the light on the cruelty and adverse health and environmental effects of animal-based products and meats is fantastic. However, with obsolete excuses for consuming animal products when there are clearly better alternatives frustrates me.

First, I'd like to state that anyone who is actively and thoughtfully reducing their animal-based products and meat consumption should be commended for possessing such conviction and enlightenment. 

I'm not an advocate for an all or nothing approach to veganism or a plant-based diet. It's about progress, not perfection, and vilifying someone who still has honey in their cupboard but claims to be vegan doesn't do anybody any lick of good. Yet, it seems that Mielle has given people an excuse to include animal products in their diet with no real merit at all and that's what troubles me. Especially someone who is assiduously trying to go vegan or exploring veganism (why else would they buy the book).

“Be judicious, but go ahead and a little grass-fed ground beef to my chili recipes, replace oils with organic butter, or serve my recipes alongside wild fish or pastured chicken, if need be.”

— Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose

She writes that one should feel free to supplement naturally vegan and healthful recipes with beef or butter. Why? Is all I could think. Just because that slab of bloody, slaughtered cow was "grass-fed" or "organic" certainly shouldn't alleviate your conscious or persuade you that it might be more healthful. 

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People who say they would stop eating meat but it's just not realistic or "it's not for everyone" confound me. If you have reasonable access to a decent supermarket or farmers market, there are much more healthful and humane alternatives to meat. Beans, tempeh, lentils, tofu, the list goes on and on. And guess what? These foods are much less costly than meat. With regards to health, money, compassion, and impact to the environment. So why? 

I can imagine it would be hard to really be persuaded to seriously adopt a plant-based lifestyle when the author of the book, within the first couple pages, goes on to describe how she has been vegetarian and then vegan for many, many years but has now reverted back and become a "reluctant" omnivore. An ex-vegan writing a pro-vegan book, that's really not pro-vegan just pro-plants? It's really hard to get on board. 

I wish it was called "Eat Less Meat!" instead of "Veganish."

While I suspect I wouldn't buy this book for myself. I could see gifting it to someone who never, in their entire existence would ever entertain becoming vegan. Someone like that sincerely unpleasant person in your life who offers you a slab of beef while snickering about how that cow died just for him/her to have this meal or telling you there's some grass outside if you're feeling hungry. You know the one. 

As a vegan, you might find yourself a bit infuriated (as she perceives you might) while reading the first several chapters. If you can look beyond the patronizing lines, however, you'll find a treasure trove of recipes and cooking tips.

The book does offer some good information on plant-based nutrition. Mielle touches on why "organic" and "grass-fed" labels don't mean much (which she contradicts earlier on in the book) and has a small chapter about organic fruits and vegetables, and GMO foods. She discusses salt, oil, and the different materials cooking utensils and pans are made out of. I found the latter to be very informative.

There's several chapters on cooking tips, like how to dice an onion and peel ginger. Pretty basic stuff, but if you're new to cooking it could be helpful. However, the vast majority of the book is recipes, from soups to desserts to breakfasts. 

I feel dreadful for writing a post that might anger the author, who seems to be genuinely trying to do a good thing. For posting a review that's probably not what the publisher had in mind. For stirring up personal feelings in readers that want to feel nothing for consuming the Standard American Diet or who only eat meat a few times of the week. And for friends and family who make full use of and derive benefit from the death of animals. However, I was asked to write a review and so I have.

Find the book at Amazon.com

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

Tempeh & Kale Steamed Gyoza

Whew! Sorry for the neglect 'round these parts. We were having a little tussle with the internet. Never fear though, we're back up!

Can I just say...while the entire rest of the continental US is apparently having some sort of "snowpocalypse" (I get it Al Roker, okay? I get it!), in Alaska, we have not even a single flake of snow to our name.

I'm terribly upset about it. 

I had a real hankering for gyoza (more than usual) the other night, so I whipped up these little guys. Gyoza, or potstickers, or dumplings (they go by many names) are really very easy. If you've never made them before, don't be frightened. It's basically just a minced stir-fry that's wrapped in dough and steamed. Super easy. Pinky promise. 

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. ”

— Eckhart Tolle

Bob. Always giving me that, "Hey, when you get those done...you know...in my belly. I'll just wait here."

Have you ever thought about who your dog would be if he/she was a human? Bailey would 100% be an aloof, bossy and dramatic, gay accountant. We decided this years ago. 

Tempeh & Kale Steamed Gyoza

Tender kale and meaty tempeh fill a silky, steamed gyoza for a healthy and impressive meal. NOTES: Use a food processor for speedy mincing. Square wrappers, instead of round can be used. I like my gyoza steamed, but these can be pan-fried too. This recipe uses all the wrappers and filling, any leftover, cooked gyoza can be frozen.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Yield: 40 gyoza

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 oz. crimini mushrooms, minced
• 2 large celery stalks, minced
• 8 oz. block of tempeh, minced
• 4 large kale leaves and stems, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 package of 40 circular wonton/gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• -- Dipping Sauce --
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• dash of sesame seeds

Cooking Directions

1. In a large rimmed frying pan, heat the sesame oil over low.
2. In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until minced. Add to the sesame oil and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Now, add the celery, tempeh, and kale to the food processor and pulse until minced. Add to the sesame oil and sauté for a few minutes.
4. Mince the fresh ginger by hand and add it to the frying pan.
5. Add the soy sauce and agave nectar to the frying pan and continue to sauté, stirring often, for about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Fill a seperate small bowl with water for making the gyoza.
7. When making the gyoza, I like to do them in batches. Make as many as will fit in the steamer without touching and while they’re steaming, assemble more. To assemble the gyoza, place about ½ Tbsp. of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your fingers in the small bowl of water to wet the edges of the circle. Fold in half, and crimp along the edges, pressing very firmly to close the wrapper edges.
8. Place as many gyoza as will fit on a parchment paper lined steamer basket. Steam for about 5 minutes. Remove and repeat with remaining gyoza. This recipe should use all the wrappers and filling.
9. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Good Deed of The Day

The University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are poised to begin lethal experiments that will take baby monkeys away from their mothers and inflict anxiety on them. I had heard about this being done in the past on a podcast I listened to last week and apparently it's still being carried out. Please sign this petition to urge Chancellor Rebecca M. Blank to intervene and prohibit these experiments from moving forward.

Dutch Word of The Day

Dumpling --> knoedel (kah-noodle) ... I'm going to start calling Todd knoedel, muah haha.