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vegan butternut squash soup

Butternut Squash Soup


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  • Author: Gonul
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x

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

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
  2. Add the diced garlic, turmeric, sage, and cashews, then saute for another few minutes.
  3. Add lentils and butternut squash. Saute for another few minutes, glazing the bottom of the pan with the vegetable broth as necessary.
  4. Add the broth, salt & pepper, then bring to a boil.
  5. Cover and simmer on low heat until the squash falls apart and the lentils are thoroughly cooked, about 40 minutes.
  6. Once cooked, either use an immersion blender or use a regular blender/food processor, working in batches after the soup is slightly cooled.
  7. If desired, add more broth or hot water to thin out the soup at any point.
  8. 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

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