I love to cook. Which is good, because I eat a lot. And I have some pretty serious food allergies. So whether it’s making homemade energy bars for mid-workout, or a tasty recovery meal for after, you’ll often find me in the kitchen immersed in my next foodie creation.

I also love experimenting in the kitchen. Sometimes it works out great. When it does, I’d like to share some of my tasty, healthy, and nut-free recipes with you! So keep an eye out for more Foodie Fridays.

With so much travel in the past month, I’ve had little time for playing in the kitchen. In fact, I’ve had very little time in a kitchen at all! Traveling with food allergies means a lot of really boring, safe food. And not much variety.

So I was excited to return to Bend for 4 days this week before flying to the East, and get to make some tasty food. I have been feeling pretty tired from all the travel, racing, and adventuring, and the weather here in Central Oregon is a dismal grey. It seemed only appropriate to make a vibrant and hearty squash and lentil soup.

Like so many of my favorites, this recipe has a funny ingredient.

You will need:

2 cups butternut squash, cubed. Or 1 cup squash and 1 cup sweet potato
1 beet
3/4 cup dry lentils
1 onion
garlic
paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil
molasses
sugar
2 cups veggie stock

Coat the squash/sweet potato with molasses, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. I always eyeball measurements.  Just don’t overdo the salt. It’s hard to recover from that! (Although lemon juice helps if you do overdo your salt!) And about a tablespoon molasses will do. Roast at 375 F until soft.

Dice and boil the beet in 2 cups water. Drain the beet, reserving the water. Cook 3/4 cup lentils in the beet water (This is the secret ingredient! The beet doesn’t actually end up in the soup. Now you have tasty leftover beet!)

Saute the onion with 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, more paprika, and a little sugar.

When the squash is done, blend it in a food processor with as much stock as needed to make it smooth.

Mix the squash puree with the lentils and onion. Add the rest of the stock if desired.

This soup is vegan and gluten free. Although I enjoy mine with a splash of heavy cream 🙂

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