This Butternut Squash Lentil Soup is filled with veggies, herbs, and inexperienced lentils, making an extremely flavorful and good-for-you soup! Serve it with toasted sourdough bread for a nourishing lunch or plant-based dinner. Simple to make and naturally vegan.
I make this butternut squash soup with lentils each week, and every time I share it on Instagram, I get requests for the recipe. It’s easy to prep and filled with nutritious veggies like squash, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Seasoned with dried herbs, vegetable bouillon, and tomatoes and made hearty with protein-rich lentils, it’s pretty much as good for you as is it’s scrumptious.
With such a formidable resume and frequent requests, I figured it was time to share the recipe. So right here it’s: my favourite wholesome soup. Take pleasure in, my mates!
For extra tasty butternut squash recipes, try my Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk, Butternut Squash Lasagna, Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, and Chickpea and Butternut Squash Tagine.
Elements
Butternut Squash: You’ll need 1/3 of a butternut squash or about 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed squash.
Lentils: Brown or inexperienced lentils work greatest for this lentil and squash soup as a result of they maintain their texture when simmered. Purple lentils can substitute, however will break down as they prepare dinner, making the soup creamier.
Aromatics: Seize 1 medium onion and three garlic cloves.
Greens: Along with the squash, you will have carrots, small potatoes, and celery. Scrub the carrots and potatoes properly earlier than dicing and peel provided that desired.
Canned Tomatoes: You need to use 1 14-ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes. Or, substitute 1 1/2 cups of chopped contemporary tomatoes.
Herbs: Contemporary rosemary and dried bay leaves, oregano, basil, and thyme add scrumptious natural notes. For the most effective taste, at all times use dried spices with expiration date.
Vegetable Broth or Water: Provides moisture and savoriness. Use store-bought broth, make do-it-yourself vegetable inventory, or use water.
Vegetable Bouillon: If utilizing unseasoned (i.e., unsalted) vegetable broth, inventory, or water, add vegetable bouillon, akin to Higher than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. It’s my (not so) secret to extremely tasty soup each time! 😉
Easy methods to Make Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
- Sauté aromatics. Heat the oil in a big half over medium-high warmth. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and salt and stir. Sauté for about 3 minutes till the onions are translucent.
- Add remainder of elements. Add the herbs, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, lentils, tomatoes, and water (or broth), and produce to a low boil. If utilizing, add the vegetable bouillon paste.
- Simmer. Cut back the warmth to medium-low and let the soup come to a simmer. Prepare dinner with the lid ajar for half-hour or till the lentils and greens are tender.Â
- Season and serve. Season the soup to style with salt and pepper, then the serve squash lentil soup sizzling with toasted sourdough bread.
Jenné’s Recipe Professional-Ideas
- Chop the greens evenly. This enables for even cooking and equal quantities of veggies in each chunk.
- Utilizing water vs. broth. Add the vegetable bouillon if utilizing water or unseasoned, salt-free broth or inventory. Omit it when utilizing seasoned or salted vegetable broth to maintain the butternut lentil soup from getting overly salty.
- Potato and squash cooking variations. Should you want the potatoes and squash firmer, add them after simmering the lentils within the broth and tomatoes for quarter-hour. Prepare dinner the soup for one more quarter-hour or till the greens are your required texture.
Recipe Variations
Strive different variations of this lentil butternut squash soup by making any of the next diversifications:
- Wholesome Greens: Stir in a big handful or two of chopped spinach, curly or child kale, or chard within the final 5 minutes of simmering for an additional enhance of diet and taste.
- Spicy: Take pleasure in some warmth by sautéing the aromatics with as much as 1/2 teaspoon of crushed crimson pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. For smoky warmth, use floor Aleppo pepper or sizzling paprika.
- Completely different Seasonings: For curried lentil and butternut squash soup, swap the herbs for 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Give the soup a French aptitude through the use of 2 teaspoons of Herbes de Provence as an alternative of the dried oregano, basil, and thyme. For a Moroccan-inspired meal, season with 1 teaspoon of floor cumin, 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon every of turmeric and floor cinnamon.
- Additional Protein: Sauté 1-2 chopped vegan sausages with the onions and aromatics for extra plant-based protein.
Sluggish Cooker Instructions
For tremendous easy, hands-off cooking (good for busy days!), you can even make this butternut squash and lentil soup within the Crockpot. Right here’s how one can do it:
- Sauté the veggies. As directed on the stovetop, cooking the onions till they’re translucent.
- Add all the things to the sluggish cooker. Pour the sautéed veggies, herbs, carrots, potatoes, squash, lentils, tomato, water (or broth), and vegetable bouillon paste (if utilizing). Stir properly.
- Sluggish prepare dinner on low for 6-8 hours or excessive for 3-4 hours. Season the lentil squash soup with salt and pepper to style, and serve sizzling!
Storage Instructions
- Refrigeration:Â Leftover squash and lentil soup retains coated in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Freezing:Â The soup can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Defrost it within the fridge in a single day.
- Reheating: Heat the soup in a saucepan over low warmth, stirring sometimes, or within the microwave on mild warmth till sizzling.
Continuously Requested Questions
Sure! Sauté the greens on the medium warmth sauté setting for 3 minutes till the onions are translucent. Add the remainder of the soup elements, stir properly, flip off the sauté setting. Lock on the lid and strain prepare dinner on excessive for 7 minutes. Fast-release the strain, season with salt and pepper, and serve sizzling!
You definitely can. Honeynut, koginut, kabocha squash, or candy potato all make nice substitutes for butternut squash.
Extra Wholesome Vegan Soup Recipes
Recipe Card
- 2 tbsp additional virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus extra to style
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped contemporary rosemary, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 6 small potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups cubed)
- ⅓ butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ cups brown or inexperienced lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes
- 8 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 ½ tbsp Higher than Bouillon vegetable bouillon paste, skip if utilizing salted vegetable broth
- Black pepper, to style
- Sourdough bread, to serve
Forestall your display from going darkish
Heat the oil in a big half over medium-high warmth.
Add the onions, celery, garlic, and salt and stir. Sauté for about 3 minutes till the onions are translucent.
Add the herbs, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, lentils, tomatoes, and water (or broth), and produce to a low boil. Add the vegetable bouillon paste if utilizing (see ingredient notes above).
Cut back the warmth to medium-low and let the soup come to a simmer. Prepare dinner with the lid ajar for half-hour or till the lentils and greens are tender.
Season the soup to style with salt and pepper, then serve with toasted sourdough bread.
- Refrigeration: Leftover squash and lentil soup retains coated in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Freezing:Â The soup can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Defrost it within the fridge in a single day.
- Reheating: Heat the soup in a saucepan over low warmth, stirring sometimes, or within the microwave on mild warmth till sizzling.
- Chop the greens evenly. This enables for even cooking and equal quantities of veggies in each chunk.
- Utilizing water vs. broth. Add the vegetable bouillon if utilizing water or unseasoned, salt-free broth or inventory. Omit it when utilizing seasoned or salted vegetable broth to maintain the butternut lentil soup from getting overly salty.
- Potato and squash cooking variations. Should you want the potatoes and squash firmer, add them after simmering the lentils within the broth and tomatoes for quarter-hour. Prepare dinner the soup for one more quarter-hour or till the greens are your required texture.
