Red Autumn Soup with Orzo

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.

Beet, Kale and Pomegranate Salad

This salad has been a huge hit at many of my retreats this fall, and was so frequently requested that I've decided to share it here. If pomegranates are not in season, you can omit them or use dried cranberries in their place to maintain a sweet-and-sour kick.

¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
1 bunch curly green kale, de-ribbed and cut into thin ribbons
¼ c. walnuts, chopped coarsely
2 pounds red beets, peeled and shredded
½ c. pomegranate arils (what are commonly called seeds)

Whisk together vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until dressing is emulsified.

Place prepared kale in a large bowl and pour dressing over it. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it becomes noticeably softer. Let kale marinate for 20-30 minutes.

While kale marinates, toast walnuts in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Add beets, pomegranate arils and toasted walnuts to the kale and stir well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Mung Bean, Tahini and Dill Soup

As we move into vata season, simple soups and stews are some of the most nourishing foods we can choose, and are especially beneficial for evenings where we have dinner a bit on the later side. If you've been on a retreat with me this year, chances are you've had this soup. I absolutely fell in love with it after stumbling upon it on A Brown Table. The creator of this stellar foodie site, Nik Sharma, has given me permission to share my adaptation of the recipe here and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have. The mung beans in this dish are detoxifying, while tahini adds rejuvenative qualities to the this easy soup, which is a meal in itself.

2 Tablespoons ghee (or coconut oil for vegan option)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes (I like using Aleppo chile)
Pinch of hing (asafoetida), optional
2 cups split yellow mung beans (moong dal), rinsed and drained*
6 cups vegetable broth or water
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/3 c. chopped dill, plus extra for garnish
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon salt

Heat ghee in a soup pot over medium-high flame. Add the garlic and chile flakes, along with the hing (if using), and stir constantly for about 30-45 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the drained mung beans and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.  Cook soup 30-40 minutes, until beans are soft and soup is starting to thicken, stirring occasionally. You can add a bit more water if needed if the soup gets thicker than you desire.

Stir in the tahini, dill, lime juice and salt. Cook another 5 minutes, then taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve individual portions topped with extra chopped dill.

* Note: The consistency of the soup will not be correct if you use whole green mung beans.