Twenty-Minute Curried Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

Jun 21, 2020 | Soups and stews

This is one of those recipes that people don’t believe takes such little time. The depth of flavor that develops in such a short amount of time is still astonishing to me. The silky butternut squash and the bite of texture that the lentils give, combined with the warmth of the spice mix, create the most perfect bowl of comfort for those cold fall or winter nights. Though I’ll admit, my family eats soups all through the hot Sharon summer months as well. The spice level here is not “spicy” just flavorful, but if you’re into spicy, there is definitely room to add that in.

Let’s talk lentils. I use tvuot red lentils because red lentils are the fastest cooking lentils. But you can for sure experiment with green or black lentils; you’ll just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. In general, I find tvuot to be a great brand for all my grain and legume needs. They have a wide variety of organic, non-genetically modified grains. The mass selection keeps my family’s diet diverse and nutrient dense. Their products are sold in almost every health food store I’ve come across in Israel.

This recipe uses coconut milk to cream together all the flavors. Doesn’t really matter which brand you choose here, just wouldn’t suggest skippering on fat content here. I always tell my clients not to be afraid of a little fat. One canful in an entire pot of soup really won’t make much of a difference on your waistline, but it will make a huge difference in the taste department. A creamier consistency makes such a huge difference in the final product. I like Shufersal’s green coconut cream because its often on sale, but also find NutraZen to be on sale quite often, and side note, NutraZen is the best Isupplier I’ve found for all your coconut needs. I like this one (but both the 22% and 17% will work).

The other perk of this recipe is although it uses few ingredients, it is still packed with a tremendous amount of plant based proteins, so this makes a wonderful meal for the vegans amongst us, and for those of you looking to incorporate more of a plant based diet. One cup of lentils packs in 18 grams of protein. Often when animal protein is lacking, people face an iron deficit as well, but lentils pack in 1/3 of your daily irons needs. Another win I’d say.

Ok let’s get to the good stuff now.

About Me

Hi! I’m Liat Buckman, a Real Food Women’s Health Dietitian. After years of restrictive eating, painful periods, low energy, and fertility struggles, I realized conventional medicine wasn’t giving me real solutions. I took matters into my own hands—diving deep into real food nutrition, functional medicine, and blood sugar regulation to heal my body.

Now, as a conventionally trained dietitian in Israel with holistic certifications as an NTP and RWP, I help women uncover the root causes of their hormonal and metabolic struggles using real food and sustainable lifestyle shifts. I also guide women in navigating real food eating in Israel, which is where this entire journey—and my blog—began. Read more >

Twenty-Minute Curried Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: Four - Six

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 ½ tsp. cumin
• 1 ½ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 (400 gram) can coconut cream
• 4 cups vegetable broth, or water
• 1 ½ cup raw red lentils, pre-rinsed

Extra add ins:
• ¼ tsp. red chili flakes
• Squeeze of lemon

Instructions

1. heat a large pot with oil and add the onion, garlic, and butternut squash. Allow the onions to sweat and the butternut squash to soften, around 6-8 minutes
2. add all the spices and stir to coat the onions and squash.
3. add the tomato paste, and allow to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Then add the coconut cream and broth/water. Bring to a boil
4. Add the lentils, and reduce heat to medium. Cover partially, leaving some of the pot exposed to steam, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until lentils have cooked through.
5. At this point you can either serve and enjoy, or blend the soup with an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother texture.
6. Top with red chili flakes or cayenne pepper if you like, and a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavors.

You might also like…