Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup (Vegan)
Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup is a soothing, nourishing, vegan soup, made especially warming with turmeric, curry and ginger.
Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup is a soothing, nourishing, vegan soup, made especially warming with turmeric, curry, and ginger.
My nose is raw and I’m weak from coughing. But I’m on the mend. After a busy week where I was thankfully well enough to appear on camera for a client project, I came home, and my body, most likely sensing that it was allowed to get sick, basically shut down and I found myself in bed all weekend. All I wanted was hot ginger tea and soup.
Get Well Lentil Soup
Normally, my go-to soup is arroz caldo, which I especially love because of the ginger and garlic that soothes. But I wanted something a little more hearty, where I could sneak in as many veggies and nutrients as possible.
So I started chopping my Filipino version of the Trinity (garlic, onions, and ginger) and searching the fridge and pantry to see what I could do to make this the most wholesome, nourishing soup ever.
Warming Ingredients
Out came some butternut squash and lentils, then from the spice cabinet, more ginger, turmeric, and curry. I wanted this lentil soup to warm from within, to help me detox and regain my strength.
As I stirred the soup on the stove, I realized that this soup would have been a perfect candidate for the pressure cooker, and I could have saved some time. But when you’ve been in bed for 48 hours, it feels good to stand and tend a pot of steaming soup, you know?
Lentil Soup Add-Ons
To give the Lentil Soup a little extra flavor, a splash of balsamic vinegar and hot chili oil was all I needed. My husband opted for some chopped pickled jalapenos. The kids went for the naan, dipping into it like a creamy dal. It was just what we all needed this perpetually cold and wet week, and I’d like to think it helped me recover faster, too.
Looking for more soothing soups? Try these recipes to warm you up:
Arroz Caldo | Filipino Chicken and Rice Soup
Chicken and Asparagus Sotanghon (Glass Noodle) Soup
Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Soup
Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Herb Soup
Chicken and Herb Spaetzle Soup
Soothing Broth from The Practical Kitchen
Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 2 inch piece fresh ginger peeled
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cups chopped butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup lentils
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 cups mixed greens (spinach, baby kale and chard work well)
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- hot chili oil for garnish, optional
- pickled jalapenos for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until transparent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, ground coriander, and ground ginger. Cook for another minute to let the spices toast.
- Add the butternut squash, salt, lentils, and vegetable stock. Bring to boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, then cover the pot and allow to cook. Stir periodically for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are fully cooked and tender.
- Remove the ginger and discard.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the squash is fully mashed and the soup is to your desired consistency — I like to keep mine a little chunky. This can also be done by blending a portion of the soup in a blender and returning it to the soup.
- Stir in the almond milk and balsamic vinegar, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the mixed greens and give it a minute to wilt.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of chili oil or as my husband like it, with pickled jalapeno. Serve hot with bread – toasty naan is delicious with it.
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Great recipe. Made it in the instant pot. I wasn’t sure about the almond milk and balsamic but the flavor combination was very tasty.
Thank you, Amy! I’m so glad you liked the soup!!
Check out the website, too. Love ya’, aunt reets
Hi there! I believe you probably meant to share/email this recipe, but it looks like you left a comment instead! Next time, there is an email button under the “Share This” part under the recipe card that should help. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I cannot wait to try this recipe
I hope you enjoy it!
How can I ensure my lentils stay as is and have the squash pureed like in your photo? Do I need to cook them in stages?
Hi Sarah! There is no need to cook the lentils in stages. You add them all together along with the squash and vegetable stock (step 2), and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. I pulse it just a few times with an immersion blender to achieve that texture. I hope that helps!
Made this but chopped the ginger & left it in. Definitely a ‘go to’ recipe.
So happy you like the soup recipe and consider it a go-to, Jane! Thank you!
Love
I’m so glad you like it, Marie-Claude!
Fabulous recipe. I grated the ginger and left it in the soup. We didn’t have pickled jalapeños or chili oil, but my hubby added siracha swirls. Used my Instant Pot–10 minutes.
Hi Letty – I’m so glad you loved the soup! Grating the ginger is a great idea, and I think I have no choice but to make it in the pressure cooker from now on. How can you beat 10 minutes?
Liren, this recipe is absolutely delicious and exactly my kind of ‘stick to your ribs’ soup. I made it last night for Sunday Supper and couldn’t have been more happy with how it turned out. So satisfying. The only change I made was swapping light coconut milk for the almond milk since that is what I had on hand. This one is going into my soup rotation line-up. Delish!
Mary, I’m SO glad that the soup wins a coveted spot in your soup rotation! That means so much!! Light coconut milk is a delicious swap that I love, too! xo
so much better than my go to lentil soup recipe, that I’ve grown tired of, so really appreciate your use of butternut squash and the curry flavors in this dish, thank you
Aw, thank you! I’m so glad you love the flavors!