Enter the Season of Soup and Warm Salads

The best lentil soup I have had for a long time and a squash salad with roasted garlic dressing

I was going to write about fall salads this week, but cold weather came knocking abruptly on our door and I found that most of my vegetal appetite turned to soup rather than lettuces.

And so I have here a recipe for a lentil soup which is frankly the best lentil soup I have had for a while (and one best made right now while you can still get your hands on a few ripe tomatoes and some lovely green peppers). As well as a recipe for an acorn squash salad with a roasted garlic dressing which is deliciously satisfying and happily walks the line between full-blown sweatpants comfort food and put on your heels and apply some lippy elegance.

A Good Lentil Soup

Enjoy with plenty of good bread that has been toasted, slathered with salted butter and rubbed down with a clove of garlic. The bread is, after all, the best part of eating soup ;)

I love using French lentils in soups as they retain their structure, even when they are over cooked, meaning that the soup retains a more varied character rather than becoming a homogenous mush.

This makes enough to serve 2-4, it can easily be doubled to serve more.

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 T butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 green pepper- I used new New Mexico/ Hatch chilies which are long and mildly sweet with a gentle heat. Sub 1 green bell pepper (capsicum) and a little jalapeño.

5 small sprigs of thyme, leaves only

2 T fresh oregano leaves (or sub a small pinch of dried oregano)

Pinch ground cinnamon (about 1/4tsp)

Pinch cumin seeds

1 slightly heaped tsp ground Corriander

3 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife and roughly chopped.

4-5 tomatoes, roughly chopped

a large handful of roughly chopped green cabbage (about 1 1/2-2 cups)

1 cup French lentils

Small handful finely chopped parsley stalks (optional- if you have them throw them in)

Water to cover by and inch (about 6 cups or so)

To serve:

Greek yoghurt

Finely chopped scallion and parsley

Well buttered hot toast

• Heat your favourite soup pot over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Add the the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the green pepper, thyme and oregano and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pepper has softened and the onion is just starting to caramelize slightly. Add the spices and garlic and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant then add the tomato and the cabbage. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the lentils and enough water to cover by about an inch. Season generously with salt and allow to come to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring from time to time and keeping an eye on the water level, for about an hour- you may need to add a little more water as the lentils cook but don’t go crazy, you don’t want it to be thin. The soup is ready when the tomatoes and cabbage have lost all resistance and the lentils are soft. Check for seasoning and add more salt as needed.

• Ladle into bowls and serve topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and scallions and parsley if using, hot buttered toast on the side.

Acorn Squash and Onion Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

Of course you can use whatever squash or pumpkin you like for this recipe, I do enjoy Acorn squash as you can keep the skins on and they are small enough to be able to just cut into a few pieces and be done with it. As for the cheese, you can use whatever you prefer, goat cheese or brie would also be good, but I enjoy the rich creaminess and slight funk of a Raclette, Comte or Gruyere, especially with the roasted onion. The bitter leaves of arugula and radicchio are perfect to cut the rich sweetness of the squash, onion and cheese.