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This hearty butternut squash lentil soup is a comforting and nutrient dense superfood soup, featuring lentils, kale, and leeks.
Ready for the coziest, most comforting superfood soup? This butternut squash lentil soup tastes like a bowl of sunshine. It’s chock full of beautiful, colorful healthy ingredients, and it tastes surprisingly more delicious than you’d imagine from the humble ingredients. Using leeks brings a complexity to the body of the soup. The only part about this superfood soup that requires some time is chopping the vegetables. You can use that to practice your knife skills — and we’ve listed some time savers below! Keep reading for the butternut squash lentil soup recipe.
Another great lentil soup? Curry Lentil Soup
How to make butternut squash lentil soup
This butternut squash lentil soup is filled with nutrient-rich foods like lentils, butternut squash, leeks, and Swiss chard. It’s also very, very tasty — it gets rave reviews from friends and family alike. In fact, it just might rival our current favorite, Italian White Bean Soup. It’s perfect for a cozy fall dinner, or a warm lunch for a chilly afternoon.
The only time consuming part of this soup recipe is the chopping. It requires quite a bit of vegetable chopping: garlic, carrot, leek, butternut squash, and kale. As a time saver, you could chop all the veggies in advance and refrigerate until making the soup: this could make it a 30 minute meal. Another option is to use frozen cubed butternut squash, which can shave off quite a bit of time.
Related: 12 Best Kale Recipes | 15 Best Lentil Recipes
How to cut butternut squash
The hardest part of making this butternut squash lentil soup is cutting the butternut squash! How to cut butternut squash? Here’s what Alex and I do: First, slice off top of the squash, then the entire straight neck of the squash. Peel it and peel the round base. Cut the base in half and remove the seeds from each half with a spoon. Slice the neck into strips and then cubes. Then do the same with the rounded bottom part of the squash: slice it into strips and then cubes. Once you know how to cut butternut squash, it’s a breeze to this easy butternut squash lentil soup recipe! See the video below to watch us in action.
Video: How to cut butternut squash
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How to cut leeks
Except…for how to cut leeks! Cutting leeks can also be a source of confusion. Here’s how we cut leeks: first, we chop off the dark green stems of the leeks and the bottom root, then slice them in half length-wise. Then we place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board and chop it into thin slices, resulting in half-moon shapes. Here’s the important part: rinse the sliced leeks thoroughly in a colander to remove any dirt. Because leeks are roots, there’s typically a lot of dirt in the bulb portion! See the video below to watch us in action.
Video: How to cut leeks
Looking for more butternut squash recipes?
Butternut squash recipes are in the air! Outside of this butternut squash lentil soup recipe, here are a few of our favorite butternut squash recipes:
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Butternut Squash Curry
- Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
- Cozy Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Baked Butternut Squash Chips
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Curried Acorn Squash Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Best Squash Recipes
Related: Best Vegan Dinner Recipes | Quick Coconut Lentil Curry |How to Cook Lentils
This recipe is…
This butternut squash lentil soup recipe is vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!
Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
This hearty butternut squash lentil soup is a comforting and nutrient dense superfood soup, featuring lentils, kale, and leeks.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 carrots
- 3 large leeks or 1 large yellow onion (or a combination; 1 leek and 1 yellow onion works well)
- 1 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 cups diced; use frozen diced as a time saver)
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale or Swiss chard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 cups vegetable stock (we used 6 cups broth and 2 water)
- 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic. Peel and chop the carrots into half moons.
- Chop the leeks (watch the video!): chop off the dark green stems and the bottom roots, then slice each in half length-wise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin half-moons. Rinse thoroughly in a colander to remove any dirt.
- Chop the butternut squash (watch the video!): Slice off the neck of the squash and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Peel the base. Slice the base in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice the neck into thin rectangles, then into long slices. Turn the slices the other way and dice. Cut the base into thin slices and then dice into small squares.
- Wash and chop the kale (watch the video!). You can also wait to do this step while the soup simmers in Step 6.
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil; add the leeks or onions and sauté until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the squash, vegetable broth, lentils, thyme, oregano, and kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils and butternut squash are soft (taste test a few). In the last few minutes, add the chopped chard and simmer until tender. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in the lemon juice.
I have made this recipe multiple times and we love it. The only comment is, I would encourage people to add the lentils along with the garlic and carrots in order to soften the lentils, which are never soft at the end of the recipe otherwise. Thank you so much for this recipe. We love it.!
I changed a LOT, and it turned out wonderful! If you’re interested in a coconut milk-curry version, try: sub paprika for thyme, add 1 tsp curry powder, ½ cup tomato sauce, and a full can of coconut milk at the end. Deeeelicious!
Hi, I don’t have enough green lentils, can I use some red lentils with the green lentils? Does that change the cook time? Thanks!
Unfortunately, they will get mushy in the same cooking time.
Just made this and my house smells wonderful! I hate to be that person, but how large is your serving size? (One cup, two cups, etc.) I know the recipe says 1/6th, but that’s a big hard for me to eyeball.
We didn’t measure, sorry!
I just tried this amazing recipe and it was delicious! The combination of the sweetness from the butternut squash and the nuttiness from the lentils worked perfectly together. I added a bit of a kick to it with some freshly grated ginger, which really complemented the flavors of this soup. My family absolutely loved it and we all agreed that it was definitely one of the best soups we have ever had.
Also, I almost forgot I used collard greens because I couldn’t find any Tuscan kale or Swiss chard and it still is so delicious. Of course you cut out the vein otherwise it’s too bitter.It’s awesome
Just made this soup, it tastes good but all the butternut cubes fell apart and melded into the background. Next time I’d wait to put them in (I cooked 20 minutes as suggested). Having said that, if they fall a part it’s a nice variation on butternut squash soup if the squash ends up more like a puree. You still have the other veggies to give it some chunkiness. I used the kale instead of the Swiss chard and it was good in the soup.
Sorry about that! Different squashes can cook at different rates. Thanks for making!
I made this soup tonight and it was delicious. I like my soups a little thicker so I took about 3 cups out and used the immersion blender to blend it and then added it back into the pot. Then I added chopped swiss chard from my garden at the end. It was the perfect consistency. Loved it!
Do I need to rinse and soak the dry lentils according to bag instructions before adding them to the soup in the last step? Thanks!!
You can rinse them if you want, but no need to soak.
Is there a version of this available for a crock pot? I think I would still sauté the onions before adding, but I was wondering how much time on what temperature I could do this with and if it would turn the butternut squash into mush if I did a crock pot version?
We don’t have a version, sorry!
I cooked this tonight for dinner and it was so easy to make and so delicious! My husband said it was so good he was willing to eat soup in the summer:)
How many cups is your bunch of kale after chopping. “Bunch” can vary wildly in different grocery stores! Thanks.
It’s true, it can vary with Tuscan kale! Since it’s in a soup, it’s great no matter what size the store has. On average, 1 punch of Tuscan kale is about 3 cups chopped.
Can I substitute for red lentils?
No, the red lentils would get too mushy.
I had gum graft surgery and have to be on a soft diet for 2 weeks. I made this soup, but puréed it before adding the lentils and then cooked it until the lentils were soft. It is a great, nutritious addition to my current limited diet!
Does this soup freeze well?
We haven’t tried it, but I think it would freeze well.
Chopped cilantro on top will add a Latin touch to this delicious soup. Try it !
Hi! Could I make this recipe with red lentils?
Red lentils would be too soft for this recipe.
Made this tonight – it was delicious!! Thank you for a great staple recipe
So glad you enjoyed!
This soup is packed with flavor! It will definitely be a new go to staple for soup season. I used the kale, yellow onion, and frozen chopped butternut squash options. Love this!
So glad you enjoyed!
Made this in a quest to get my 3 year old more fiber. I was shocked that he loved it! Slurped the bowl and asked for seconds. I made it exactly as written (all leeks no onion). Thanks for the recipe!
I love that! Glad you all enjoyed!
Can I make this in a crockpot?
Sorry, I’m not sure!
Thank you for the quick reply
What is the serving size? I imported the recipe into MyFitness Pal app and one serving is over 1600 cal.
Hi! There is nutrition info at the bottom of the recipe card. This soup is for 6 servings at 300 calories each.
That’s great thank you am preparing now yum yum ..?
How long will this keep for please ?
Hi! It will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.
Just finished making this soup, all from fresh ingredients and it is delicious! Thank you for having this recipe available.
You are so welcome! Thank you for making it!
Very excited to try this soup! Cooking it now actually! I have never cooked with leeks before. I bought the pre-cut two pack from trader joes and cut them according to the instructions. I only used two instead of three and it still comes out to about a cup and a half of diced leeks. That seems like a lot but maybe it’s just because I haven’t used them in any of my cooking before. Am I crazy or is this the right amount? Thanks!
That amount of leeks should be great — they cook down a lot! Thanks for checking and hope you enjoy it!
When I went vegan, our family tradition was to start making a dish called “veggieducken,” which came from a recipe we found on NPR. It’s so good I could eat it any day, but that would spoil the tradition. Luckily, I found this soup recipe and it tastes just like veggieducken! Thank you so much for sharing this… it’s a new favorite.
Oh wonderful! And I had never heard of veggieducken — thanks for the introduction!
My grandma prepared soup like this but she never gave me the recipe. Aw, great memories, thanks!!
How fun — glad we could bring back good memories!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Even my five year old son loved it :-)
Oh, you are so welcome! That is so wonderful to hear, especially about your son too — thank you so much for letting us know!
Lovely as usual. My two year old ate it up! Perfect for using up the CSA bag on a blustery evening! I used chicken broth with the same ratio as above and it was great.
Awesome! So glad your toddler loved it too! That’s always the ultimate test :)
Stumbled across this recipe last night while looking for something to do with the butternut squash that I had on hand. This is such a great change from all of the pureed butternut squash soups out there. My husband and I loved it! Thank You!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this last night and it was delicious. We did decide that we didn’t need a partial bag of lentils laying around, so we used the whole bag, just adding water (about 4 cups, I think) to keep it from getting too thick. And we served it with a dollop of non-fat plain greek yogurt atop each bowlful. Yummie!
Nice! It never hurts to have more soup :)
This looks amazing and so hearty! I love how you two are always coming up with unique, innovative dishes. Keep up the good work — you’re making me look great in the kitchen :)
Oh, thank you! Thank YOU for trying out some of our dishes!
Yum! Sounds delicious!
As soon as I saw this I had to make it. I love everything in this soup. I should have taken your recommendation of doing 6 cups broth with 2 cups water. I just tasted it and its a wee bit salty for me. So I added a cup and a half of water and it balanced it out. This soup is for dinner tonight along with some crusty yummy bread! Thank you for sharing :)
So glad you enjoyed it! Sorry about the salt content, but glad the water balanced it out :)
I will have to try this!
Mmm this looks so warm and perfect for the first day of snow (here in Ottawa). Love it!
This looks so delicious that I want to make it tonight. Only problem – I don’t have chard or leeks, but I do have spinach and onion. Do you think the recipe would still come out well with these substitutions?
I think it should work fine — leeks have their own special deliciousness, but onions won’t be bad. And, the spinach will be a great substitute.
I’m currently loving all things butternut squash, so this sounds perfect for the chilly Minnesota week ahead!
Oh, fun to hear about another Minnesotan! I’m from there originally — though now I claim Indianapolis as my home :) Hope it hits the spot!
This soup sound wonderfully hearty and full of flavour.
I made this last year and I’m hooked!!! Can’t wait to make it again! :) I’m wondering if you have an estimate of the sodium per serving….I am having to track my sodium intake very closely right now. Thanks
Hi! It’s really going to depend on the brand of broth. From the Morton kosher salt, it would be 320mg per 1/6th portion.
This is a great soup. I did a couple things a little differently. I used lemon olive oil to saute the veggies. I sauteed them in my instant pot and then I use the crock pot setting. I didn’t want to half a bag of lentils so I use the whole bag added more water. I use vegetable soup base to cheat a little so I omitted the salt all together. Added a little more garlic and herbs and it is the bomb. So good.
Thank you