Hearty Lentil Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale and Bacon
A nourishing and soul warming lentil soup with roasted butternut squash, kale and bacon. Perfect for chilly fall evenings!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 medium butternut squash (peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 slices bacon (cut into ¼ inch pieces)
- 1 large onion (chopped fine)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped medium)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (drained)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup French green lentils (picked over and rinsed)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 ½ cups kale leaves (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cubed squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 35-40 minutes. Set aside.
- 2
Meanwhile, heat the bacon in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots, garlic and thyme. Saute until the onion is translucent and the carrots are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the lentils and the wine and cook until the wine is almost completely reduced, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook until lentils are tender, about 35-40 minutes.
- 3
Remove 2 cups of the soup from the pot and transfer it to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and return to the pot.
- 4
Add kale and continue to cook until the kale is tender, about 5-10 minutes more. Gently stir in roasted squash, vinegar and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.