Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup (Printable)

Velvety soup with roasted butternut squash, red lentils, carrots, and warming spices—ideal for chilly days.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 1 large onion, chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Legumes

05 - 3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

06 - 4 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 cup water
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Spices and Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
16 - Coconut cream or plant-based yogurt for swirl

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and tender.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne if using. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in roasted squash, red lentils, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes until lentils and vegetables are very soft.
05 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender and blend until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Return soup to low heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick, add additional water or broth as needed to reach preferred consistency.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and a swirl of coconut cream or plant-based yogurt if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The roasted squash creates a naturally silky texture without any cream, making it feel indulgent but genuinely nourishing.
  • Red lentils dissolve into the broth, thickening everything while adding protein and a subtle earthiness that balances the sweet spices.
  • It comes together in just over an hour, making weeknight dinners feel less rushed and more intentional.
02 -
  • If your lentils are old (more than a year), they take much longer to soften and may never fully break down—buy fresh lentils and store them in an airtight container.
  • The squash must be fully roasted before it hits the broth, otherwise you'll end up with a watery soup that tastes thin and one-dimensional instead of rich.
  • Immersion blenders work so much better than regular blenders for this soup because you blend in the pot and lose zero heat or nutrients to transfer.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in dry pan for 30 seconds before adding to the hot oil—this extra step releases their essential oils and makes them taste three times more vibrant.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, freeze the soup in ice cube trays and blend in batches while it's still warm, which prevents that strange gluey texture that sometimes happens with blended soups.
  • Save a handful of the roasted squash cubes before blending and stir them back in at the end for a textural surprise that keeps the soup from feeling completely uniform.
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