Butternut Squash Soup with Red Lentils

This is the butternut squash soup I’ve been making when I want something more substantial than a typical silky puree. Red lentils give it body and a protein boost, while tomatoes and tomato paste offset the sweetness of the squash. Garlic, yellow peppers, and fennel seeds keep things dynamic, and a couple handfuls of cashews blend into beautiful creaminess. It’s an ideal lunch soup, and you’ll find me topping it with whatever is waiting for me in the refrigerator. Lately that has meant these roasted cherry tomatoes, an herby marjoram oil (recipe included below), crumbled goat cheese, toasted pepitas, and sometimes, if I’m going all-in, an egg.

A Note on the Squash

I note this in a few places on this page, but it deserves emphasis. You can make this soup using butternut squash as well as a wide range of other winter squash, or even sweet potato. I love using red kuri squash with its dense sweet flesh and deep color. Kabocha squash is another regular go-to, along with acorn squash and adorable honeynut squash. I’m seeing honeynuts more and more alongside traditional butternut squash these days, they look like pint-sized versions.

For the Silkiest Soup

When I’m feeling lazy, I often blend soups like this using a simple hand blender. It makes for easy cleanup. And for this exact soup, the hand blender does a pretty good job – really smooth, but not hyper-silky. All of which is a long way of saying that this soup goes next-level when you use a high-speed blender, and the result is arguably worth the extra effort. But don’t be deterred if a hand blender is what you use! It can still do a good job, the photos here are of a version I made using an old-school hand blender.

Best Toppings for Butternut Squash Soup

You can see in the photos I topped this lunch with a bright herby-olive oil drizzle. There’s cherry tomatoes, a bit of goat cheese, and some crunchy pepitas. But this soup is a real chameleon and welcomes a wide range of topping directions. Some other ideas: kale chips, crispy chickpeas, magic sauce, chile crisp, homemade labneh, roasted lemon chutney, candied walnuts, oil-cured black olives, toasted sliced almonds, toasted pumpkin seeds (you can make these with the seeds from whatever squash you’re using).

Make Ahead and Freeze

This is a favorite soup to make-ahead and freeze in batches for quick, healthful meals down the line. Reheat and add toppings before serving. If the soup thickens up too much for your liking, add a bit of water or broth and re-season.

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