Red Lentil and Kabocha Squash Soup

Direct from Michael Natkin's cookbook Herbivoracious. 

For the quick harissa oil:

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons sriracha, sambal oelek, or similar thick Asian chile sauce

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1⁄2 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoons ground sumac

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan; warm over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not allow the spices to sizzle; you don’t want them to cook, just to get warm enough for their flavors to infuse the oil quickly. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes more.

2. Puree all of the ingredients with a stick blender or a mini food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. The oil is ready to use.

3. Alternative: combine in a pyrex 2c measure and put into a microwave for 1 minute on high. Serve with both the oil and the crunchy bits (all the seeds) from the bottom. Also: use up to 1T caraway, depending on how much you like the flavor, and adjust other spice amounts according to your own taste. 

For the soup:

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1⁄2 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed kabocha squash

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1⁄2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 1⁄2 cups red lentils

2 teaspoons kosher salt

6 cups water

Juice of half a lemon (optional)

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Quick harissa oil for drizzling

1. Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash. Cook until lightly browned. Alternative: cut a kabocha in half; place cut-side down in a microwave; cook 2 min to soften.Slice into half-rings, remove rind. Heat the oil in pressure-cooker on high, put squash rings in the oil to brown; flip and brown other side. 

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, coriander seeds, and hot red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Do not let the spices burn. Alt: same with pressure-cooker, near the end of the browning process. To stop the cooking, add some water. Spread out the squash so that it covers as much of the bottom of the pot as possible, so the lentils don't sit there. Add the water (or, as I prefer, chicken stock), and then sprinkle the lentils on top, but make sure they're all actually in the water. Cook 7 minutes on high; then cool and puree in a blender as in step 3.  

3. Warm your soup bowls in a low (200°F) oven. Add the red lentils, salt, and water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the lentils have mostly fallen apart, about 30 minutes. Carefully puree, very thoroughly, with a blender or immersion blender. (See page 89 for safety tips on pureeing hot soups.) Taste and adjust the seasoning, and stir in the lemon juice, if using.

4. Divide the soup among the warmed bowls. Garnish with the cilantro leaves and a generous drizzle of the harissa oil, and serve immediately. Alt: also add some dukkah if you have some --- it gives a nice crunch to an otherwise very smooth soup.