This butternut squash and red lentil soup is a delicious combination of gently sweet and earthy squash, filling, nutritious and creamy lentils and a healthy dose of fresh sage. Comforting hug in a bowl!
I absolutely adore butternut squash for its versatility and the flavour that pairs so beautifully with so many ingredients, two of them being red lentils and fresh sage.
Three simple ingredients that compliment each other so well, you can be sure you are onto a winner with this comforting soup.
You might also want to check out my Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup.
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Perfect bowl of comfort all year round.
- Only handful of ingredients.
- One pot, no roasting required and still heaps of flavour.
- Great for batch cooking and freezing.
- Packed with plant protein.
- Loved by kids.
📝 Ingredients and substitutes
Here's what you will need to make my Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Sage:
Butternut Squash - You will need roughly 1.5kg of squash for this soup. You can also use other types of squashes if preferred or available.
Red Lentils - Our delicious plant protein, thickener, you name it. They're so versatile.
Fresh Sage - You could use dried sage here instead but there is something about the flavour and intensity of fresh sage in this soup that simply cannot be replicated. I just love it.
However, if dried sage is all you've got, use about a third (approx. 3.5g).
Onion & Garlic - Soup staples. You could use any type of onion here: white, red, few shallots or even couple of leeks instead of onions.
Veggie stock or bouillon - You can also use homemade stock of any kind of you've got some.
Fresh Thyme - Just for a little bit of extra earthy flavour. Few sprigs thrown in whole to be retrieved before blending the soup. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon dried.
Chilli Flakes - Completely optional but I love that subtle heat they give. I'm absolutely obsessed with ancho chilli (pul biber) as it's very gentle and slightly smoky too.
Salt and pepper to taste.
🔪 Instructions
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Start by preparing all your ingredients as per instructions in the recipe card.
Peel, deseed and chop butternut squash into medium chunks, trying to keep them similar size so that they cook evenly. Roughly chop the onion and finely chop, grate or mince garlic. Roughly chop sage and leave thyme as is.
Heat up couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot with a lid.
Add the onion and sauté it for approximately 5 minutes until soften but not too coloured.
Add butternut squash chunks, garlic, sage and thyme and give it all a good mix. Keep sautéing all the veggies for another 5 minutes stirring from time to time, not allowing them to catch.
Next, add lentils, stock and chilli flakes (if using) and give it all another good mix.
Bring the soup to boil then turn the heat down, pop the lid on leaving a small vent and let it simmer until squash is tender and lentils are soft (approx. 20 minutes).
Take the woody thyme stalks out and blend the soup with a hand blender to your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust season with some salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
🥡 Storing
Store: This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: If you'd like to store it for longer, it's best to freeze it. I like to freeze mine in portions in freezer proof containers or bags for up to 3 months for best flavour but you can freeze it for longer.
***Quick Tip*** Don't forget that liquid expands when frozen so make sure to allow some room for that when filling your containers for freezing.
Defrost: You can defrost your soup in the fridge overnight, in the microwave or by gently heating it up on the hob/stove top in the saucepan.
💭 Pro Tips
The amount of salt you'll need to add to your soup will depend on the saltiness of your stock so bear that in mind when adding seasoning. Always taste before adding more!
Rinse your lentils thoroughly under cold running water until it runs clear, to get rid of any dust and/or debris.
If using fresh thyme, make sure to fish it out before blending your soup.
Don't feel like you need to puree the soup super smooth. You can of course leave it a bit chunky if you prefer.
Make sure you taste your soup as you cook it to ensure you're happy with the flavour and adjust seasoning as required. You might want to add a squeeze of lemon juice or cream at the end. Make it your own!
🍴 Serving suggestions
I like to serve this soup sprinkled with my homemade vegan parmesan (but you can of course use regular parmesan) and some sage leaves pan fried in butter until crispy.
It's simple and oh so tasty!
My kids love it with handful of homemade croutons or thick slice of buttered homemade granary bread which is their latest favourite (recipe coming soon).
Other great topping would be crispy air fryer chickpeas and fluffy homemade breadsticks on the side.
❓ FAQ
Yes, absolutely. There are lots of lovely varieties of different squashes that can be used instead of butternut one. I love sweet mama squash, red kuri (onion squash) or delicata to name just a few.
Have you tried my Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Sage?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
😋 More butternut squash recipes you might like
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Easy Butternut Squash and Chorizo Gnocchi
Butternut Squash and Chorizo Risotto
Vegan Butternut Squash Wellington
📋 Recipe
Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Sage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon cold pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil
- 1.5 kg butternut squash (weight before peeling) peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 2 medium onions peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped/minced/grated
- 150 g dried red lentils rinsed
- 1.25 ltr vegetable stock homemade, from stock cube or bouillon
- 10 g fresh sage roughly chopped (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or few sprigs of fresh
- 1 teaspoon Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper) chilli flakes or any chilli flakes you like (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing all your ingredients as per instructions in the recipe card.Peel, deseed and chop butternut squash into medium chunks, trying to keep them similar size so that they cook evenly. Roughly chop the onion and finely chop, grate or mince garlic. Roughly chop sage and leave thyme as is.
- Heat up couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot with a lid. Add the onion and sauté it for approximately 5 minutes until soften but not too coloured.2 tablespoon cold pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil, 2 medium onions
- Add butternut squash chunks, garlic, sage and thyme and give it all a good mix. Keep sautéing all the veggies for another 5 minutes stirring from time to time, not allowing them to catch.1.5 kg butternut squash (weight before peeling), 3 garlic cloves, 10 g fresh sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme or few sprigs of fresh
- Next, add lentils, stock and chilli flakes (if using) and give it all another good mix. Bring the soup to boil then turn the heat down, pop the lid on leaving a small vent and let it simmer until squash is tender and lentils are soft (approx. 20 minutes).150 g dried red lentils, 1.25 ltr vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper) chilli flakes
- Take the woody thyme stalks out and blend the soup with a hand blender to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust season with some salt and pepper if needed.Serve and enjoy!salt and pepper
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 4 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- Feel free to substitute butternut squash for a different one depending on availability.
- Feel free to use dried sage instead of fresh. You will need approx. 3.5g (0.12oz).
- Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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