Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

This hearty butternut squash lentil soup comes together in about an hour and is perfect for serving on colder winter days.

We hope all of you who celebrated Thanksgiving this past week had a lovely holiday. We had a wonderful day with family and friends — and a restful Friday afterwards lazing around the house, which is something we don’t do terribly often.

Now that the holiday is over, we know many of you (ourselves included) are looking forward to some “detox” meals to cleanse from the heavy holiday food. This butternut squash lentil soup is perfect for that, filled with nutrient-rich foods like lentils, butternut squash, leeks, and chard. It’s also pretty tasty — it got rave reviews from our recipe tester, Katelyn. This soup just might rival our current favorite, Italian White Bean Soup.

And if you’re in Midwestern America (or perhaps other places in the country), it’s possible you can find most of the ingredients at your local market!  We picked these up at Indy Winter Farmer’s Market, where you’re likely to find us on Saturday mornings if you’re an Indy local.

Speaking of the market, it was so great to see all of you last week at our Green Mango Cafe cookbook signing!  It is so encouraging to meet people and have support for the book. It means so much to us. We’re also excited to announce that the Indy Winter Market is now our second retail location! You can pick up a copy of our cookbook at the front desk every Saturday from 9:00-12:00 from now until the market ends in April. (Our first retail location is The Village Experience in Broad Ripple—check out our Cookbook page for more details.)

We are so thankful for YOU, our readers!  It is such a joy to explore food together.

And a shoutout to our favorite fan of lentils. We think you’ll enjoy this new offering :)

Looking for more butternut squash recipes? 

Butternut squash recipes are in the air! Here are a few of our favorite roasted butternut squash recipes:

• Za’atar-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
• Baked Butternut Squash Chips
• Simple Butternut Squash Soup
• Indian-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Quinoa
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Pickled Onions

This recipe is…

Vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, and gluten-free.

Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 1)

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 to 6
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This hearty butternut squash lentil soup comes together in about an hour and is perfect for serving on colder winter days.

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Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 carrots
• 3 large leeks
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 8 cups vegetable stock (we used 6 cups broth and 2 water)
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon white wine (optional)

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Instructions

1. Mince 4 garlic cloves. Peel and chop 3 carrots into small pieces. Chop off the dark green stems of 3 leeks and the bottom root, then slice them in half length-wise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin slices (resulting in half-moon shapes). Rinse thoroughly in a colander to remove any dirt. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the halves with a vegetable peeler, then chop them into small pieces. Wash the chard, remove the stems, and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil; add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
3. Add the squash, 8 cups vegetable broth, 1 1/2 cups lentils, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are soft. In the last 2 minutes, add the chopped chard and simmer until tender. Taste, then add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. If desired, add a tablespoon of white wine to finish.

Notes

Inspired by Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

Keywords: butternut squash lentil soup

About the Authors

Sonja Overhiser

Cookbook Author and writer

Sonja Overhiser is an acclaimed vegetarian cookbook author and cook based in Indianapolis. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.

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Alex Overhiser

Cookbook Author and photographer

Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the “best vegetarian cookbooks” by Epicurious.

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