Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup (Printable)

Hearty vegan soup with roasted butternut squash, red lentils, carrots, and warming spices for cozy comfort.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Legumes

05 - 3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed

→ Spices

06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Liquids and Oils

12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
13 - 5 cups vegetable broth

→ Finishing

14 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
15 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
02 - Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes until golden and tender.
03 - In a large pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Add garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and chili flakes if using. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add the rinsed lentils and stir to coat with the spiced oil mixture.
06 - Add roasted butternut squash and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until lentils are tender.
07 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky if preferred.
08 - Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
09 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's genuinely nourishing without feeling like an obligation—hearty lentils and roasted squash do the heavy lifting, so you're not thinking about what else you need to eat.
  • The spice blend is quietly sophisticated—turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon work together in a way that tastes like someone who knows what they're doing made it for you.
  • You can have it ready in under an hour, and most of that is hands-off roasting while you putter around the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the squash separately—it's not extra work, it's the difference between soup that tastes good and soup that tastes memorable.
  • If your blended soup seems too thick, add more broth a little at a time rather than watering it down all at once.
  • Taste before serving and trust that the lemon juice and seasoning at the end matter more than you think—it's what keeps this from being one-dimensional.
03 -
  • Use your best olive oil for finishing—not the cooking oil, but the one you actually like tasting.
  • If your immersion blender isn't doing much, the soup might be too thick; thin it with a little extra broth before blending to avoid burning out your motor.
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