curried butternut squash red lentil soup

I can't seem to eat enough lentils these days. I've been making lentil soup of various types almost once a week! It's a good thing lentils are so healthy.
This time, I had an itch to make a soup that incorporated one of my favorite winter vegetables--squash! I tweaked a recipe from Gourmet magazine (February 2009) to suit me, with delicious results. Not only did this soup turn a beautiful shade of orange, but it was richly flavored, filling, and perfect for a crisp fall day. If I were better prepared, I might have garnished it with roasted spiced pumpkin seeds or served it with a nice grainy loaf of bread, but it stands on its own beautifully.
I should mention that the original version is not a blended soup, but I wanted a puree, so out came the immersion blender!


Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp minced peeled ginger
1 tbsp curry paste (I used yellow)
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 qts water (I substituted vegetable stock)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper



Heat oil and butter together in a pot over medium heat until the butter is fully melted and the foam subsides. Add squash, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Add curry paste and pepper, cook for a couple of minuted longer to allow the vegetables to absorb the curry flavor. Next, add vegetable stock (or water if you prefer), lentils, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until lentils are tender. Blend soup until smooth, add lemon juice, and give it a good stir before serving. The original recipe also suggests drizzling the soup with cilantro oil before serving. If this is to your taste, you can make cilantro oil by pureeing 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and 1/2 cup vegetable oil with a pinch of salt in a blender.