Living in L.A., I don’t get to enjoy many of the typical harbingers of the fall season, including widespread changing of colors on our trees. Thankfully, many fall foods are red and orange in nature, and I try to make it a point to appreciate the colors that I’m not seeing as much in my environment on my plate instead. This nourishing soup combines several foods in the autumnal color palette to create a lush red soup that is punctuated with chewy bites of orzo.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Serves 4
Ingredients:
1½ pounds red kuri or kabocha squash, peeled, seeds removed + cubed
⅓ cup red lentils
2 large roasted red peppers, roughly chopped (see note below)
1 teaspoon paprika
4 cups vegetable broth or water
2/3 cup orzo (see note below for gluten-free option)
¾ teaspoon salt (fine grain)
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (see note below)
Chopped parsley, cilantro and/or chives for serving
Preparation:
Place the squash, red lentils, roasted red peppers, paprika and vegetable broth/water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook the soup for 20–25 minutes, until squash is easily pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and cook until it becomes just slightly al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. It will finish cooking in the soup, so don’t work if it seems super chewy). Drain the orzo and set aside until the soup has finished cooking.
Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender (or carefully in a conventional blender in two batches). Return the soup to the stove over low heat. Stir in the cooked orzo, salt and sherry vinegar. Cook the soup for another 5 minutes or until the orzo is your desired texture. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and/or vinegar as desired. Serve the soup as soon as the orzo is cooked through, garnishing individual servings with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Recipe Notes:
You can use canned roasted red peppers or make your own (instructions easily found online). If preparing your own, be sure to remove the skins and seeds before using.
For a gluten-free orzo, I suggest using Jovial’s cassava orzo.
You can also use red wine vinegar in place of the sherry vinegar if that’s what you have on hand, but I would highly suggest investing in a bottle of sherry vinegar if possible. Its unique flavor is really unlike any other vinegar.
