Nutritious soups are perfect at this time of year

A9

Natural health
Deborah Ferguson

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Is there anything better in autumn than a pot of steaming homemade soup? After raking leaves, taking a chilly evening walk or just finishing a long day, nothing warms the body and comforts the soul like a hot bowl of delicious (and nutritious) soup. The following recipes are two of my favourites from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook (though if you're familiar with the famous cookbook, you'll know there are many more to choose from).
These soups are easy to make, healthy and low fat. They feature a variety of vegetables and can be the centrepiece of a meal when served with bread, a salad or rice, or simply served as a light lunch or afternoon snack. Hot soups can be made in advance, stored either in the fridge or freezer, and reheated at any time. Feel free to substitute water with homemade or store-bought stock, organic if possible, because it is more nutritious and lower in sodium.

Lentil Soup
3 cups dry lentils
7 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tsp sea salt
6 to 8 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
2-3 medium sized ripe tomatoes
Red wine vinegar, to drizzle on top
Optional: ½ to 1 tsp basil, ½ tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. oregano
Place lentils, water and salt in a kettle. Bring to a boil, lower heat to the slowest possible simmer, and cook slowly, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add vegetables (except tomatoes), herbs and black pepper. Partially cover and let simmer another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat a medium saucepan of water to boiling. Drop in the tomatoes for 10 seconds, take them out, peel off the skins, and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the remaining pulp and add to the soup. Let the soup cook for another 5 minutes more.
Serve hot with a drizzle of vinegar on top of each steaming bowlful.

Curried Squash and Mushroom Soup
2 medium acorn or butternut squash
2 ½ cups water
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbs butter or oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 ¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp dry mustard
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced
a few dashes of cayenne, to taste
(optional) fresh lemon juice
yogurt, for the top

Preheat oven top 375 degrees F. Split the squash lengthwise, remove seeds, and place face-down on a lightly oiled tray. Bake until soft (about 30 to 40 minutes). Cool, then scoop out the insides. Measure out 3 cups-worth, place this in a food processor or blender with the water, and puree until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). Transfer to a soup pot, and stir in the orange juice.
Heat the butter or oil in a skillet, and add onion, garlic, salt and spices. Saute over medium heat until the onion is very soft – about 8 minutes (you may need to add a small amount of water to prevent sticking). Add mushrooms, cover, and cook about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Add the saute to the squash, scrapping the skillet well to salvage all the good stuff. Add cayenne and heat gently. Once it is hot, taste it to modify the seasoning to your liking. This is a fairly sweet soup; you may choose to balance this by adding fresh lemon juice to taste, and/or topping each bowlful with a small amount of yogurt.

Deborah Ferguson is a Registered Nutritional Consultant practicing in Rothesay. If you have any questions, please call 847-7049. Her website address is www.deborahferguson.ca.