Comforting Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

This comforting bowl of butternut squash lentil soup is hearty, warming and nutrient-dense. Meal prep in advance for an easy cozy meal whenever you need it.

The warmth of soup helps me get through the colder months like nothing else, and I’m lucky to have this Butternut Squash Lentil Soup because it is quite literally warming my soul right now. Summer literally left with no goodbye on September 21st, and since then it’s just been colder here up north. So in comes all the cozy foods.

Why You’ll Love This Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash

• It’s coziness in a bowl. The warm spices and fresh ginger in each bite brings me a lot of joy when the months start to get cooler. Grab a bowl and curl into a cozy sweater or blanket and enjoy the comfort it brings.
• A great way to use up your produce. The ingredients of this soup are based on what I had on hand in my fridge. Feel free to swap out different ingredients based on what you have on hand.
• Packed with nutrition. This soup contains a multitude of different nutrients that can help support your immune system and gut health. It’s also packed with fiber, plant-protein and lots of iron.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Lentils: I love to use French lentils for this, but you can replace with other lentils like brown or green lentils. If not a fan of lentils you can also use canned chickpeas or white beans as an alternative.
• Butternut Squash: One of my favorite winter squashes. You can also use kabocha squash or even sweet potato.
• Tomatoes: I like using fresh tomatoes where I can as they tend to have less of an acidic taste. If you need to use canned, I would recommend using 1 cup canned San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes. They have a sweeter, less acidic taste compared to other canned tomatoes. Just crush them with your hands before adding to the soup.
• Bell Pepper: This was a happy accident I was able to add to the soup. Totally optional, but I never complain about adding some extra nutrient dense vegetables to a pot of soup.
• Spices: I used a combination of turmeric and ginger to enhance the warmth of this soup.
• Herbs: I used thyme and a bay leaf. I also threw in some leftover cilantro, but this is totally optional if you are not a fan.
• Vegetable Broth: Use good quality vegetable broth. This will help add really good depth of flavor to the soup. I always use Better Than Bouillon’s vegetable based broth.
• Lemon Juice: I reserve some wedges of lemon to squeeze over the soup before enjoying. Helps add a pop of freshness.

How to Make Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

Place a large pot over medium heat, add your oil and warm it through. To the pot, add your onions along with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions have softened. Stir in the bell pepper and sauté until softened, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute until fragrant.

Add in the tomato paste and continuously stir in the pot until it starts to go from a bright red to a darker orange-red color. Stir in the turmeric, coriander and thyme and give a good mix to combine.

Toss in the diced tomato and cook down until softened. Add the butternut squash, lentils, vegetable broth then stir well and add the bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils and butternut squash has softened. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and some avocado slices.

Expert Tips

• Make sure to pick over your lentils. Spread the lentils out on a clean surface and comb over them to pick off any rocks or big pieces of debris before rinsing well under water.
• Customize the vegetables to your liking. For example, you can leave out the bell pepper and stir in some spinach instead.
• Sauté the tomato paste. Allow the tomato paste to cook down until it starts to turn from a bright red to a darker orange-red color. Cooking the tomato paste like this will caramelize it, which will help add more depth of flavor to your soup.
• If the soup tastes acidic, add a teaspoon of a sweetener like maple syrup to help balance the tone of the soup.
• Adding pepper to this soup will help you absorb 20x more of the curcumin (a potent antioxidant) from the turmeric.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve

This soup is a complete meal in a bowl. However, I love to enjoy this soup with a few slices of avocado and some roasted sweet plantains on the side. Some nice crusty bread also pairs really well with the soup too. I will also enjoy leftovers with some white rice and that combination definitely reminds me of the stews my mom would make with lentils. So good!

More Cozy Soups to Try

• Chipotle Red Lentil Potato Soup
• Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup
• Lemon White Bean Potato Soup
• Smoky Chickpea Kale Soup
• Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu

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★ Catherine

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