This Butternut Squash Curry Lentil Soup uses red lentils which are my favourite lentil in soups, as they break apart nicely contributing to the consistency of the soup and only take less than 10 minutes to cook! This recipe is high in protein, with 20 grams per serving, and low in overall calories. A delicious and warming fall meal.
800gbutternut squashskinned, de-seeded and cut into 3/4" cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2cupsred lentilsdry
6cupsvegetable stockorganic
To Serve
1lemonjuiced
Instructions
Rinse the red lentils. This is important to avoid biting into any tiny little pebbles.
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and gently fry until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, chilli and all spices and fry until fragrant, about another 30 seconds.
Add the diced squash and reduce the heat. Cover the pot and let the squash cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the squash has softened add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Next, add the red lentils to the soup mix and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the lentils have completely broken apart. Check to make sure the squash is nice and tender. Add more water or stock if the soup gets too thick.
Now for decision time, do you like your soup chunky or blended? Sometimes I like to mash my soup with a potato blender, and sometimes it is nice to have a blended soup. If you have a hand held stick blender this is usually the easiest to use.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice. This is the secret ingredient. Not only does it make the soup taste great, but it also helps you to absorb the iron from the lentils more efficiently. I also like to eat mine with a dollop of natural yogurt or a drizzle of coconut cream for a vegan version.
Notes
Bump up the Protein: Serve it with 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt or 3 tbsp hemp hearts.
Decrease the Sodium: Make your own vegetable stock with leftover onion skins, leek tops and carrot tips.
Make it Vegan: Omit the yogurt, and use a cashew cream instead or a drizzle of coconut cream.
Squash Alternatives: Try it with Kabocha squash, or sweet potato or yam.
Lentil Alternatives: Try it with yellow or green split peas, or a 28oz can of drained chickpeas.