Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash And Garlic Soup with Pistachio Crumbles (Now Sewing "The Jacket" and Now Reading "The Help")

I know it's fall "officially" but I really didn't begin to feel fall until last night as the aroma of roasted butternut squash and a whole head of garlic began to fill the house. Now. It's. Fall. I bought a really good looking squash (not too big, not too small. . . just medium-ish) when they started to look like they might withstand a few weeks or longer on my kitchen counter. In this case, "longer" is the operative word--said squash was purchased about a month ago. I don't know why, but I find having a squash on hand during the months of September through March sort of an imperative. This little guy shared a spot in a bowl with some apples. I thought they made a nice arrangement. A "fall bounty" aesthetic. So now after having successfully enjoyed the heck out of this soup, I wonder if I've accidentally discovered a way to increase the shelf life of the butternut by pairing it with apples? Yes, these are the things I contemplate. Food shelf life. 

I can tell you that I'd have loved to have eaten the whole squash by myself. I got all excited after I pulled it from the oven and flipped it over. All that caramel-ly goodness. So tempting! But it wasn't the biggest squash in the world, and I did have to feed two people last night, so I fought off the temptation.

There's a few steps to making this soup. But the reward in the end is completely worth it. Completely. It heats up beautifully the next day as a leftover. All I had to do was add a teeny bit of water. I used red lentils in my soup. You could use yellow lentils or green peas. (Though I kind of think the red lentils or yellow ones are the way to go. But your call.)

This weekend I'm going to try really hard to finish this:

I loved the collar and the mid-length cut. So chabby chic for my fall fashion wardrobe. I can wear this with anything and not be too awfully hot. (Because let me tell you, this little "furnace" I've turned into is a real picnic!) I picked a camel color in fleece. Camel is one of my favorite colors (after black and grey). It's a classic color. Plus, it was on sale at a ridiculously affordable price, I couldn't NOT try to make something. I see buttons being a really fun part of this coat/jacket.

Then I bought this book because I made an Amy Butler purse for my sister and she loved it! I didn't take a picture of it! Dang it. I so enjoyed Amy's design instructions and felt like such a sewing diva, I had to have her book! Lots of possibilities here. Lots.

And finally from the sewing room--I bought this pattern out of sheer fun and out of the possibility that I might, just might be able to whip up a vintage dress for myself for this holiday. You may remember I have a whole Mad Men fascination going on. Well, maybe some would call it an obsession. Nevertheles. The patterns were on sale: ninety-nine cents. Please!

*I hear Doris Day singing Que Sera Sera when I look at this pattern. I think I may have really dated myself with that remark.

I am spending my evenings split between two things. One is knitting that Holden Shawlette I told you about. Still on the easy part--the knitting and purling of the main triangle. Lace part to come shortly. And this may require some knitting 911 from the LYS. Fingers are crossed. The other knitting thing is finishing the "man-sweater" for Dr. Thyme. Hopefully in time for Christmas. We shall see. I have no idea what in the world I was thinking when I decided I'd knit this HUGE project. I just promised him "a sweater" is all.

Sister and I are both reading the book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. We both agreed we'd rather read the book, then later decide on whether or not we'd try the movie. Not that we read the same books all the time. It just so happened she brought it with her when she visited. I became intrigued--her opinion matters. So after she left, I got a copy for myself. I'll be honest and tell you that I resisted reading this book for several reasons. Mainly, because I didn't have faith in the dialogue. With all the hoopla over her being a white woman writing in the black vernacular--I'll just say this: Zora Neale Hurston still holds the dearest spot in my literary heart. I think you can judge for yourself whether a book warrants your time. Books are like food--a very personal matter. This book has some cringe-inducing moments throughout. It is, after all, the sixties. A very divided and ugly time. A good book should do that though--cause some cringe.

Here's the recipe. Finally! I loved this soup. I loved it even more this afternoon for lunch. The chopped pistachios are obviously optional, but they add such an immense texture quality to the soup, it would be a pity to not at least try something else--maybe croutons.

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash And Garlic Soup with Pistachio Crumbles

*Inspired by Anna Thomas' "Love Soup"

1 cup red or yellow lentils

1 medium butternut squash roasted

1 head of garlic (the whole head, roasted with the squash)

1 medium onion chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk diced

2" knob of fresh ginger minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin seed

1 teaspoon whole cumin seed (toasted)

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

some really good extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Place face down on the foil lined baking sheet. Next, take your full bulb of garlic and trim the top of it off a bit. Wrap the bulb in aluminum foil--drizzle a bit of olive oil over it first--about a teaspoon. Place on the same baking sheet. Bake squash and garlic for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing the pulp. While the squash is baking, prepare the lentils. Measure out the lentils and rinse well and place them in a soup pot with 4 cups of water, a teaspoon of sea salt and the bay leaf. Cook lentils over medium heat for about 20 minutes. No need to cover them. Meantime, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan, add the remaining chopped vegetables. Cook until the onions begin to soften. Add all of the seasonings to your cooked vegetables. Toss well to combine. Then, pour all the vegetables into the soup pot with the lentils. When the squash has cooled, scoop out the pulp and add this to the soup. You can either use an immersion blender to make a smoother soup or serve it up all chunky. I liked it all chunky vs. smooth. Right before serving, add the juice of half a lemon to the soup pot. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Then ladle the soup in to bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped up pistachios. Yum! This soup makes a great left over the next day--just add a bit more water when you warm it up.