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Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

5 from 3 votes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 8

Cozy up with a bowl of Roasted butternut squash and lentil soup that is bursting with fall flavors. This comforting soup is a medley of butternut, lentil, and carrot, where the lentils pair beautifully with the creamy and starchy textured butternut squash, making them rich and delicious. 

Perfect for the holidays and beyond, this luscious soup is heavenly!! Even my picky eaters eat this soup without much fuss.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup in bowls garnished with scallions

For me, comfort food primarily equates to a bowl of warm soup during the cold season. And if you love soups, like me, then you will be wild about this roasted butternut squash and lentil soup.

It is a healthy, hearty, and soul-satisfying soup that will satisfy your hunger and warm you up from head to toe on a cold winter night! On top of it, the soupy goodness is a low-sugar and low-fat fare while being dairy-free, vegan, protein-packed, nut-free, egg-free, and gluten-free.

Now, what more can I ask in a bowl of soup?

This roasted butternut squash and lentil soup is amazingly delicious for something so simple.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

Squash is one of the best foods you can take in winter, containing a chockful of nutrients. The deliciously comforting soup always appears on our menu as it is packed with a plethora of essential nutrients while being tasty. What’s more, the soup is —

  • Super easy to make
  • Comes together with minimal ingredients
  • Packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients
  • Full of flavor, warmth, and goodness
  • Loaded with hearty veggies
  • Smooth and Velvety
  • It is an excellent winter warmer!

In short, this Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil soup has clean, simple whole food ingredients married to create a flavor explosion. 

Ingredient list for Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

Ingredient list for Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

This mildly spiced filling squash and lentil soup is simple in its choice of ingredients and cooking technique. Gather the below ingredients, and you are all set to make this vibrantly colored orange soup.

Red Lentils — Lentils add creaminess to the squash and lentil soup. You can use hulled red lentils that cook easier than other lentils. They break down much easier, giving them a thick, creamy, and hearty texture while providing a better color.

Butternut Squash — The nutty and sweet butternut squash is the building block of the soup. Brightly colored and sweet, it is an excellent source of omega 3, vitamins, and beta-carotene. Besides, it is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Store-cut butternut squash works perfectly for this recipe. Even frozen butternut squash will work, though baking time may vary.

Carrots — These are rich in beta carotene, lutein, vitamin A, lycopene, and silicon. Therefore, adding carrots to winter soups is an excellent idea to make them more nutritious.

Celery — Soups usually have an aromatic vegetable base, giving them essential flavor and texture. Celery plays a significant role in it. Apart from being nutritious, it also gives the much-needed crunchy texture. The natural saltiness and slight bitterness from celery also lend the squash and lentil soup a depth of savory flavor that no other vegetable can provide

Garlic — Another great addition to the soup is garlic. When cooked, garlic loses some of the spicy kick and instead brings in a nutty flavor, giving a complex taste to the soup, which is much loved.

Bay leaves — Packed with vitamins and nutrients, bay leaves are usually incorporated in soup since they lend an aromatic taste and fragrance to the soup, which amps its flavor profile. The more they simmer, the more the flavor.

Onion — Onion, celery, and carrots make up the mirepoix or the base of various soups. Onion provides a distinctive flavor and texture to soups. It has a savory flavor kick with slight sweetness, which goes well with the other ingredients while adding moisture and texture.

Vegetable Broth — It is mainly added to soups for its flavor. Make sure to use a low-sodium version, as it is much healthier. Also, look out for those who have balanced flavor and more body.

Lemon — It is added at the end to brighten the soup’s flavor with its slightly acid flavor, which balances all the other flavors in it.

Black Pepper — It comes with piney and citrusy notes apart from heat which is excellent for improving the flavor of soups. Furthermore, they have anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties, which gives more reason to add them.

Turmeric — The spice adds a depth of flavor to the soup because of its earthy bitterness. On top, it gives a vibrant color.

Cumin powder — The earthy aromatic spice is included in the soup, for it provides citrusy notes for this hearty soup.

Paprika — The colorful spice is included for its sweet, smoky flavor.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup garnished with cream and onions

How to make Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup?

Peel the squash — The roasted squash and lentil soup recipe start by peeling the butternut squash. It’s a tough job, but you can easily peel and de-seed a butternut squash with this simple trick. Clean butternut squash with a wet towel to remove dirt or grits. Poke holes in the squash. Microwave on HIGH for 3-4 minutes. Microwaving will soften the skin and make it easy to peel.

After 3 minutes, carefully remove the squash from the microwave. Allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes. Peel the outer layer. Slice the top and end off.

Cut squash in half. Using a spoon, remove seeds from the squash. Cut the butternut squash into cubes.

Peel the Butternut Squash

Roast the squash — Preheat the oven to @375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish. Add cubed butternut squash, carrots chopped into cubes, celery, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to this dish.

Spray olive oil and add sea salt. Mix it well. Make sure garlic is not on top of the vegetables, as it burns quickly. Bake in the preheated oven (375 degrees F) for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

Keep a watch on the veggies when they are fork-tender (meaning when the fork slides through the baked vegetables without any resistance), and remove them from the oven.

Cut and bake vegetables in the oven

Prepare the soup — Wash lentils and pressure cook lentils for 1 whistle (5-10 minutes) until soft. Red lentils lose their shape and often end up mushy during pressure cooking. No worries at all. Set it aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add the baked vegetables and cook for additional 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable stock and season with spices. Give it a good stir. Time to add cooked lentils to the veggies.

Mix to combine. Cook the veggies for another 5 minutes. This allows the veggies to blend beautifully with lentils and vegetable stock. Remove bay leaves and discard. Use an immersion blender to blend the veggies+lentil mix until smooth and creamy. Bring it to a boil. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Garnish — Take it off the flame. Pour in soup bowls. Finally, complete the butternut squash and lentil soup with a drizzle of coconut cream, chopped green onions, and pomegranate seeds. Serve hot!

Blend the soup

Can I make roasted butternut squash and lentil soup in the Instant pot?

You sure can! If you want to make roasted butternut squash and lentil soup in the Instant pot, follow the recipe until Step 7.

  • After that, turn the Instant pot on; turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Once it displays ‘hot,’ add oil to the insert.
  • Stir in chopped onions. Cook until it’s soft and translucent. Remove bay leaves and peppercorns from the baked vegetables and add the vegetables to the cooking onions. Cook for 3 minutes.
  • Pour in vegetable stock and season with spices. Time to add rinsed lentils to the insert. Mix to combine. Make sure the squash pieces are submerged in the sauce. Do not stir.
  • Turn the Instant Pot off. Close the lid and seal the pot. Press the Manual or pressure cook button and cook the squash curry for 6 minutes on HIGH.
  • Once the cooking time has elapsed, turn off the Instant Pot. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid. 
  • Use an immersion blender to blend the veggies and lentil mix until smooth and creamy. Bring it to a boil. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  • Pour in soup bowls. Finally, complete the squash and lentil soup with a drizzle of coconut cream and chopped green onions. Serve warm.

Expert Tips and Variations!

This squash and lentil soup is a versatile and straightforward soup that can be completely customized to your liking. Some handy tips!

Modify the veggies — Feel free to add or subtract veggies as per taste for more nutrition and texture. Options include – broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, and pumpkin. Possibilities are endless! For picky eaters, the best part is that you can hide the veggies they dislike in this roasted butternut squash and lentil soup, and they won’t even know about it.

Garnish — The roasted butternut squash and lentil soup can be topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of coconut milk and butter. It is possible to add croutons for a contrasting texture to make gluten-free soup.

For extra spiciness — you can add a bit of cayenne pepper or add chili flakes along with paprika. You can also spoon in the exotic Arabic spice blend Ras el hanout, which will give it a unique fiery flavor.

Roasting — Roasting the butternut enhances the flavor of the creamy soup. It brings out a depth of flavor that is usually missing in the classic butternut squash soup, giving it an earthy and caramelized flavor

Butternut squash — If you are unable to get good butternut squash, you can substitute it with acorn squash, buttercup squash, Hubbard squash, or any winter squash. Or else, you can even go for sweet potato since they both have a similarly sweet, moist, and nutty flavor.

Lentils — Instead of red lentils, you can use any lentils of your choice, but the texture and cooking time may vary. The best option, though, would be yellow lentils. Be aware that the cooking time will be high in that case.

Carrots — Carrots are much liked by all. But, if not preferred, parsnips can be added instead of baby carrots as they have similar tastes and textures.

Celery — Either carrot or cooked fennel can be used in place of celery since they have the perfect mellow flavor.

Cream — Non-vegans can substitute coconut cream with regular cream to garnish this roasted butternut squash and lentil soup

Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup in a blue bowl with coconut cream drizzle

Let me know what you think!

If soups are your ultimate bowl of indulgence, as it is for me, then you really should take a peek into my soup and salad category.

I have many wholesome and hearty soup recipes ranging from roasted tomato basil soup to instant Thai butternut squash soup in it, which are simple and easy to make.

Should you make this roasted butternut squash and lentil soup, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

Some of the other popular soups are:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup in bowls garnished with scallions

Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

5 from 3 votes
Cozy up with a bowl of Roasted butternut squash and lentil soup that is bursting with fall flavors. This comforting soup is a medley of butternut, lentil, and carrot, where the lentils pair beautifully with the creamy and starchy textured butternut squash, making them rich and delicious.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Calories: 178 kcal
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS 

ROAST THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

  • 1 medium Butternut Squash
  • 15 pieces of Baby carrots cut into cubes
  • ¾ stalk of Celery rinsed and cut into cubes
  • 5 cloves of Garlic
  • 4 pieces of Bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon Coarsely crushed Black Peppercorns (adjust according to taste)
  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED TO MAKE THE SOUP

GARNISHES

  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Scallions/Spring Onions
  • Coconut cream
  • Freshly crushed black peppercorns

INSTRUCTIONS

PEEL THE SQUASH

  • The roasted squash and lentil soup recipe start by peeling the butternut squash. It’s a tough job, but you can easily peel and de-seed a butternut squash with this simple trick. Clean butternut squash with a wet towel to remove dirt or grits. 
  • Poke holes in the squash. 
    How to peel a butternut squash
  • Microwave on HIGH for 3-4 minutes. Microwaving will soften the skin and make it easy to peel.
    Poke hole in butternut squash and warm in the microwave
  • After 3 minutes, carefully remove the squash from the microwave. Allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes. Peel the outer layer. Slice the top and end off.
    Peel the Butternut squash
  • Cut squash in half. Using a spoon, remove seeds from the squash.
    Remove the seeds
  • Cut the butternut squash into cubes.
    Cut Butternut squash in cubes

ROAST THE SQUASH

  • Preheat oven @375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish. Add cubed butternut squash, carrots chopped into cubes, celery, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to this dish.
  • Spray olive oil and add sea salt. Mix it well. Make sure garlic is not on top of the vegetables as it burns quickly. Bake in the preheated oven (375 degrees F) for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
    Bake in a preheated oven
  • Once done, remove them from the oven.
    Oven baked Vegetables

PREPARE THE SOUP

  • Take a fine-meshed sieve and rinse the lentils under cold running water to clean any dirt or dust. Set it aside to drain.
  • Transfer the rinsed lentils to a pressure cooker and cook the lentils for 1 whistle (5-10 minutes) or until soft. Once done, unlock the pressure cooker and set the lentils aside.
    Cook lentils until tender.
  • Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. 
  • Add the baked vegetables and cook for additional 5 minutes. 
    Cook vegetables for 5 minutes
  • Pour in vegetable stock and season with spices. Give it a good stir.
  • Time to add cooked lentils to the veggies. Mix to combine. Cook the veggies for another 5 minutes. 
    Lentils added to the vegetables
  • This allows the veggies to blend beautifully with lentils and vegetable stock. Remove bay leaves and discard. 
    Add vegetable stock
  • Use an immersion blender to blend the veggies+lentil mix until smooth and creamy. Bring it to a boil. Adjust seasonings to taste.
    Blend the soup
  • Take it off the flame. Pour in soup bowls. Finally, complete the butternut squash and lentil soup with a drizzle of coconut cream and chopped green onions. Serve hot!
    Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup in bowls garnished with scallions

RECIPE NOTES

 
Can I make this soup in advance?
You can double the recipe and make a big batch of the soup. Store the completely cooled soup in air-tight containers so that you can enjoy the soup throughout the week.
 
How to reheat the soup?
Thaw the soup by keeping it in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for three to four hours. To reheat, you can re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Or else, heat them in the microwave using 40-second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
 
Is this Butternut Squash lentil soup Freezer-Friendly?
Absolutely! Like my other soups, this soup is also a make-ahead freezer-friendly soup.
Store the leftover soup in the freezer-safe jar, and the lentil soup stays well for up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you need it again, thaw it over the counter, pair it with a loaf of whole-wheat bread, and a quick last-minute meal is ready to devour.
 
Serving suggestions!
This soup is excellent to be paired with grilled ciabatta bread, garlic bread, croutons, soda bread, brown bread, and breadsticks.
 

NUTRITION

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 541mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10355IU | Vitamin C: 22.5mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Author: Ruchi
Course: Soups
Cuisine: American

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Comments

  1. Jana says:

    Can the butternut squash be microwaved ? I have no oven here 😢

    • Ruchi says:

      Hello Jana,

      Cover and cook the peeled butternut squash along with all the veggies, spices, and garlic over the cook-top. Add 1/2 a cup of water and cook until the squash and carrots are fork-tender.
      I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we did.

  2. Sonal says:

    Beautiful post and lovely comforting soup 😍😍

  3. Crystal says:

    5 stars
    I love this recipe as did my husband !
    I did a slight modifications but the same flavour profile .
    I roasted the vegetables ( 1 MED butternut squash ,1 large carrot , and 1 large celery stalk) and I had pre- roasted garlic that I added at the end (6 cloves ) I also upped the red lentils to almost 1 cup
    I sautéed the onions and then the veggies out of the oven for caramelization also added the spices to the mix before deglazed and pouring all the ingredients into my instant pot .
    I had dark meat chicken shredded from the night before and I put some of that into a piping hot bowl of the soup and let it sit for two minutes and the chicken was soft and warmed through . This is a keeper !

    • Ruchi says:

      Thank you for the feedback, Crystal.
      All the modification that you did to the recipe sounds so good, bet it tasted great!
      Glad you liked the recipe. 😊

  4. Crystal says:

    5 stars
    Fabulous recipe !

  5. Ruchi says:

    Thank you MrsG, so happy you enjoyed it.
    Please use 1 teaspoon. Sorry about that. I will update the recipe.