Winter Squash And Lentil Bisque Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a heavy - bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium - low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the pumpkin puree, butternut squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium - low heat for about 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is very tender. Process the mixture through the medium blade of a food mill. Return to the pot, add the half - and - half, and heat slowly. If the soup needs more flavor, add another teaspoon of salt. Serve hot with garnishes, if desired.
• Cook's Note: To serve with croutons, remove the crusts from 2 slices of white bread, cut them in 1/2-inch cubes, and saute them in 1 tablespoon of butter until browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Heat squash, apples, onion, applesauce, apple juice, nutmeg, red pepper and 1 cup of the broth to boiling in 3-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Place squash mixture in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth; return mixture to saucepan. Stir in lentils and remaining broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.
• Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle cheese on bread slices. Place on rack in broiler pan. Broil bread with tops 3 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Top each serving of soup with slice of cheese bread and chopped onion.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with cayenne, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in large, heavy soup pot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
• Stir in turmeric, squash, red lentils and 2 quarts water. Turn up heat, add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, skim off foam, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes, until squash and lentils are tender. Taste and adjust salt.
• Purée soup using an immersion blender or, working in batches, in a blender (pull a towel down over the top of blender to avoid hot splashes). Return to pot if using blender. Add black pepper, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.
• Just before serving, heat butter over medium heat in a small skillet or saucepan and add remaining 2 teaspoons mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until seeds are lightly colored and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir into soup.
• Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro if desired.

Steps:

• Combine the lentils, ginger, turmeric, onion, water, and salt to taste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a moderate bubble until the lentils have softened and produced a flavorful broth, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the onion and discard. Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the lentils.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. If using cut up squash, place in a bowl or directly on the baking sheet and toss with salt to taste, the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread on the baking sheet in an even layer and make sure to tip all of the liquid remaining in the bowl over the squash. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so that the squash browns evenly. The squash should be tender all the way through. Remove from the heat. If using acorn squash, spoon a tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar into both cavities, season with salt, brush with olive oil, and place cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until thoroughly tender. Remove from the heat and when cool enough to handle remove the skin and cut the squash into dice.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together the vinegars, mustard, salt and pepper, olive oil, and walnut oil. Toss with the lentils and return to the saucepan. Add a few tablespoons of the lentil broth, stir in the parsley and heat through.
• Place the squash in the middle of a wide bowl or serving platter, surround with the lentil salad and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place squash cubes in a large mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch, then whisk in ginger, salt and pepper. Add half the dry ingredients to the squash and toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients and toss again until evenly coated. Add garlic, parsley, rosemary and 1/3 cup oil. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat.
• Transfer squash to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until tender. Uncover and bake until very soft, another 45 to 60 minutes. (The casserole can be cooled and refrigerated at this point for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before resuming.)
• To finish, brown the top: Turn oven to 350 degrees. (Alternatively, turn oven to 325 degrees with convection, or use the broiler.) Heat squash until sizzling on the bottom and crusty on the top, about 10 minutes. (If reheating from room temperature, it will take longer, 20 to 30 minutes.) Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pick any debris from the lentils, then rinse the lentils under running water. Transfer them to a medium saucepan, then add the cinnamon, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and let simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the cinnamon and garlic, then transfer the lentils to a large bowl.
• While the lentils cook, prepare the squash: Trim and discard the top and bottom ends of the squash. Peel the squash, halve it lengthwise, and remove and discard the strings and seeds. Slice the squash crosswise 1/4-inch thick and place the pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast the squash until completely tender, slightly caramelized and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Once cool, add to the lentils.
• While the squash cooks, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, cumin, cayenne and black pepper. Taste and season to taste with salt.
• Sprinkle the feta, scallions and pumpkin seeds over the lentils and squash. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing over the lentils and squash. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining dressing on the side.

Steps:

• Halve squash and remove seeds.
• Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking dish.
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Turn cut sides up. Bake, covered, 20 to 25 minutes or until squash is tender.
• Scoop squash pulp out of the peel using a spoon; discard peel.
• Place pulp in batches in a blender container or food processor bowl.
• Cover and blend or process until squash is smooth, adding some of the chicken broth if the mixture is too thick.
• Stir together pureed squash and remaining chicken broth in a large saucepan.
• Stir in ginger, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bring mixture to boiling.
• Reduce heat and stir in half-and-half or light cream.
• Heat through, but do not boil.
• If desired, garnish each serving with sour cream and thyme sprigs.