Curried Squash and Red Lentil Bisque with Quinoa

A fellow foodie and good friend of mine recently emailed me a recipe for soup.  It read something like this:

Saute some onions and curry spices in oil.  Add squash and cover with vegetable broth.  Cook until squash is almost done then add some red lentils.  Let cook about 15 minutes and then mash it up.  Add a can of coconut milk and a handful of quinoa and cook until quinoa "blooms."

I had everything I needed to give this a try, so try it I did and it was AMAZING!  Here is what I did, in a bit more detail.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T Madras curry powder (I make my own and it's delicious.  I'll give the recipe for that another day.)
1/2 T Indian chili powder (or to taste.  or leave out completely if the curry powder is enough heat for you)
2 T canola oil
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1 cup red lentils (called masoor dal in Indian grocery stores)
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup quinoa (I used tri-color quinoa because it's so pretty!)
1 can coconut milk
1 T lime juice
chopped cilantro for garnish

METHOD:
1.  Saute onion, garlic, and curry powder in oil until soft and beginning to carmalize

2.  Stir in squash and broth.  Bring to a boil.   Cover and simmer until squash is tender, but not too soft.

3.  Stir in red lentils and continue cooking until lentils are soft (about 15 minutes)

4.  Use an immersion blender (or any other method) to puree the soup.

5.  Stir in coconut milk and quinoa.  Cook until quinoa is soft, but still has a slight bite.

6.  Stir in lime juice and adjust seasonings as needed (salt, pepper, curry powder)

7.  If the soup is too thick, add water or broth to achieve the consistency you prefer.

8.  Garnish with cilantro

My niece LOVES quinoa, so I'm posting this recipe especially for her.  I hope she tries it!

red lentils (masoor dal) and tri-color quinoa