Description
This easy creamy vegan butternut squash soup with red lentils is the best recipe for quick weeknight dinners! Healthy, hearty, quick, creamy, dairy-free, and jam-packed with plant protein.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium butternut squash, roasted and roughly sliced / or raw and cubed (about 7 cups raw)
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 sprigs of fresh sage or 1 tsp dried sage
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 8 cups vegetable stock* (or water & vegetable bouillon)
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Suggested Toppings:
- coconut milk, fresh parsley, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sage sprigs
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the diced garlic, turmeric, sage, and cashews, then saute for another few minutes.
- Add lentils and butternut squash. Saute for another few minutes, glazing the bottom of the pan with the vegetable broth as necessary.
- Add the broth, salt & pepper, then bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on low heat until the squash falls apart and the lentils are thoroughly cooked, about 40 minutes.
- Once cooked, either use an immersion blender or use a regular blender/food processor, working in batches after the soup is slightly cooled.
- If desired, add more broth or hot water to thin out the soup at any point.
- Garnish with a combination of any of the following: coconut milk swirls, pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley, pine nuts, fresh sprigs of sage.
The soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, and will thicken the longer it sits. Simply add more liquid before serving and mix well. If desired, freeze for later for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Pick a butternut squash that feels heavy for its size.
- Never, ever use old lentils for soup. They will not truly soften, and you will end up with a grainy pulse with a bitter aftertaste. Try to get your legumes and lentils from large stores with high turnover, or check the packaging date if not buying from bulk stores.
- The consistency of the soup is completely up to you. Add or subtract a cup of broth to make it lighter or heavier, respectively.
- Cashews do not have to be soaked since we are boiling and blending them.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour if roasting squash)
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main, Soup
- Method: Roast, Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
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- Fat:
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- Cholesterol:
