Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Five Spice Shiitakes

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A quick, easy and tasty recipe for a thick and soul-warming pumpkin soup fragrantly spiced with curry and served with 5 spice shiitake mushrooms.

5 Spice Shiitakes	Soup
12 Dried shiitakes, soaked and diced 1-2 tbsp Bacon dripping 1 tsp Garlic, minced 1/3 tsp Five spice powder 1-2 tsp Maggi seasoning 1/2 tbsp Medium sweet sherry	3 tbsp Olive oil 1 Onion, finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp Curry powder 700 g Butternut squash, cut into 1cm pieces 100 g Red lentils, rinsed 1l Vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste Fresh parsley leaves, to serve

Soak dried mushrooms in warm water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain well, then dice the softened mushrooms. Heat the bacon dripping in a skillet. Add in minced garlic and diced mushrooms. Sauté briefly, adding in five spice, maggi seasoning and sherry, and continue stirring until mushrooms are tender and coated with the sauce. Keep warm until ready to use.
Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the butternut squash, red lentils, and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the butternut squash and red lentils are soft.
Remove the soup from the heat and puree with a handheld blender or whirl in batches in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the low-medium heat and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle among serving bowls. Top with the stir-fried mushrooms and parsley to serve.

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