Roasted Autumn Vegetable & Red Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 butternut squash
• 4 carrots diced
• 2 onions roughly chopped
• 2 Parsnips diced
• Drizzle rapeseed oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 Leek
• 1 inch piece grated ginger
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 120g (3/4 cup) red lentils
• 1.5 ltrs vegetable stock/water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 large handfuls chopped Kale
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

TO SERVE

• Sour cream
• Parsley
• Thyme

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
2. Cut the butternut squash lengthways, deseed, then cut into bite sized chunks.
3. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper along with the carrots, onions and parsnips.
4. Drizzle over a little rapeseed oil, then scatter over the garlic cloves leaving their skins on.
5. Roast for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, heat a little more rapeseed oil in a large saucepan, gently fry the leek and ginger until soft.
7. Pour in the coconut milk and red lentils, water (or stock) and the spices.
8. Bring to the boil and boil continuously for 10 minutes, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes to ensure the lentils are cooked correctly.
9. Add in the cooked roasted vegetables, kale and thyme leaves, then blitz using a stick blender or liquidiser until the soup is to the consistency you like.
10. To serve, drizzle over a little sour cream and sprinkle over the parsley and thyme.