Butternut squash and red lentil soup

Creamy, tasty and very nutritious, this vegan butternut squash and red lentil soup is a perfect winter meal.

We just returned from Lisbon, where we spent Christmas week, and I was happy to return to my kitchen and prepare a home-cooked meal. I like eating out, especially in Lisbon, since it has many great vegan restaurants, and almost all other restaurants have vegan options. Still, after a while, I miss home-cooked food with organic ingredients from my local organic farmers market. After a week of overeating, we decided to have soup and bread for dinner, and pumpkin lentil soup was a perfect choice. It is rich, nutritious, well-balanced, and perfect for winter. I made it fat free just because I felt we needed a fat- free meal.

This soup is high in protein (11 g, which is about 20% DV), high in fibre (27% DV), high in Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese and low in fat. Once cup (1.5 serving) of butternut squash provides over 400% RDI (Recommended Dietary Intake) of Vitamin A, 50 % Vitamin C, and just over 10% of B1, B3, B6, B9. Red lentils are rich in Folate, Vitamin B6, Zinc, Copper, Iron etc.

Serve with a wholemeal sourdough bread.

Butternut squash and red lentil soup

PREP TIME: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients

  • 500 g butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cubed)

  • 2 medium potatoes (200 g) peeled and cubed

  • 150 g red lentils

  • 350 ml water

  • 1 tsp vegetable stock

  • salt, pepper

  • pumpkin seeds and pumpkin oil


Method

  • Bring water to boil

  • Add veg stock, salt, veggies and lentils

  • Cook until veggies and lentils are done

  • Blend and add more salt (if needed) and pepper

  • Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin oil

  • Serve with sourdough bread


Nutrition