Lentil Butternut Squash Soup

Lentil Butternut Squash Soup is a nutritious, comforting soup that sticks to your ribs without any meat or dairy.  It is made with wholesome ingredients and a touch of warm, sweet spices.  Savory, earthy, nutty lentils mixed with sweet, creamy butternut squash and a touch of cinnamon create a splendid soup experience.  Whether you prefer a Crockpot or an Instantpot, it’s very easy to put this satisfying and filling stew together.  This hearty soup is well-balanced, a meal in itself, satisfying all including those who eat a vegan diet.

Growing up in a Persian family, lentils were often a part of our dinner cuisine.  One of our favorite winter layered rice dishes is Lentil and Date Rice | Adas Polo.  Adas polo is another example of mixing earthy lentils flavor with sweet dates and raisins.  Lentils are a super nutritious legume that also makes an appearance in our iconic Persian vegan noodle and bean soup called Aash Reshteh.  In aash reshteh lentils are just one of many beans that can be added to a delicious traditional Persian soup.  Soup in Farsi is translated as aash. 

Lentils are fantastic in any aash or soup!

They instantly add flavor, thickness, plus loads of vitamins and minerals.  My hubby describes thick soups as stews.  Lentil Butternut Squash soup certainly qualifies as a thick and hearty stew.  I often mix different types of lentils in my lentil squash soup for an interesting variety of textures and flavors.  Red lentils are milder and sweeter however keep in mind that they also have thinner skin and therefore break down and incorporate into the soup base. 

Nutritional benefits of lentils:

• healthy, complex carbohydrate
• good source of plant-based protein
• filling dietary fiber
• iron and folic acid/folate

If you prefer a soup where the lentils stay intact, I would recommend using either green or brown lentils.  If you like a thicker stew, try this recipe mixed with red lentils.  Either way, it may be necessary to add extra broth (vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian and vegan) to the leftover soup since it tends to thicken even more with time.   If you choose to keep a denser consistency, use the leftover stew as a sandwich spread or a side dish!

Dry lentils have a long shelf life.  They can be stored for up to 2 to 3 years in a cool and dry place.  

I hope this recipe share has inspired you to make this easy, comforting, and nutritious lentil soup.  It can be prepared in its original form in a Crockpot or made into a thicker stew via an Instant Pot (see recipe notes for adjustments).

For a deep dive into lentils and specifically how to incorporate them into delicious Persian dishes, be sure to listen to our podcast episode #44 – Lentils:

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