Hearty Carrot Ginger Soup

The addition of lentils and squash really make this old favourite feel heartier and healthier.

half of a small acorn squash (about 185g)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 onions
4 cups of carrots chopped
1 medium sized piece of ginger (see photo)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fennel
6 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of red lentils
salt & pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish
 
Preheat your oven to 400°.


Peel and dice the squash, toss in olive oil and put in a pan in the oven.
Chop the onions (don't worry about size because everything will be pureed later), and put in a large pot with some olive oil over medium heat.
Chop the garlic and ginger, and once the onions soften slightly, add them both to the pot.
Chop the carrots, add to the pot and let cook for about 8-10 minutes. By now you should probably check on your squash. It technically doesn't need to be fully cooked (because it will continue cooking in the soup) but the roasted flavour is what we need, so let it get nice and brown.
Add the cumin, and fennel, then stock and lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to let it simmer.
This is pretty much the point in soup making that you're done all the work, and it just needs time. I let mine simmer for about 30 minutes (adding the roasted squash during this time) before using an immersion blender to puree it.
Give it a taste, and decide if you need an extra seasoning. Now just let it continue to simmer on low heat until you're ready to eat.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro, and pair with freshly baked crusty bread.