Does fresh snow and cold weather have you craving something warm and cozy? This recipe’s a winner! Just to be safe, better make an extra big pot of this soup to last you all week…more powder in the forecast! -Highline
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Butternut squash is one of my all time fall faves!!! This delightful butternut squash and red lentil soup is all I need on a cool fall or winter evening to nourish my body and soothe my soul. This recipe has always been a winner at dinner parties too, which is usually the true test of how good my sometimes unconventional recipes are!
Butternut Squash. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons: Colin Smith.
If you are feeling under the weather, nearly all of the ingredients in this recipe will also help to fight off any seasonal bugs that may be flying around at this time of year. Especially the large amount of garlic, which contributes to the high ranking this recipe received above all other butternut squash soups I’ve tried in the past. (Yeah, we rank recipes at my house…does anyone else do this? Or are we as nerdy as I think we are?).
Since I always like to include some nutritional info in my recipes, here is my two cents on turmeric. Turmeric is an incredibly powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer spice. Its consumption (1/4 to ½ tsp/day) is attributed to much lower cancer incidence in India. However, it can be poorly absorbed by the digestive system unless combined with black pepper, which multiplies the body’s absorption by 2000 times!! The moral of the story – use lots of turmeric in soups, sauces, curries, dressings, etc., and always combine with a little bit of pepper, as is done in the recipe below. Enjoy!!
Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup
4-6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, or ghee
1 medium onion
½ cup red lentils
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
¼ – ½ tsp hot chili peppers
1 tsp sea salt & pepper
2-3 cups water (or chicken stock)
½ – 1 cup coconut milk (optional)
- Heat coconut oil or ghee and mustard seeds. Sauté until they start to pop.
- Add onions and spices and sauté for about one minute.
- Add the stock, or water, and butternut squash. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 min.
- Add washed lentils and simmer for 10-15 min until lentils are tender but not overcooked.
- Add salt and optional coconut milk (the coconut milk is a fabulous addition, in my opinion!). Mash with hand held blender or potato masher.
- Serve with chopped cilantro or pumpkin seeds.
- This soup also works well with carrots, sweet potatoes with or without the butternut squash.
