Butternut Squash + Red Lentil Soup
Warm up with vegan Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup — high-protein, hearty, and naturally gluten-free. Easy one-pot recipe with creamy texture and bold fall flavors, great for meal prep or healthy dinners!
Thick and hearty, this butternut squash and red lentil soup is made with the simplest of ingredients so they can shine, and is SO easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- It’s super easy. This truly is a simple recipe, from the ingredients to prepping and cooking. Peeling the squash is the hardest part, and really, it’s not so bad.
- One-pot recipe. There is no need to roast the butternut squash, so the soup can be made in one big pot, requiring fewer dishes!
- Minimal ingredients. This soup has just 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and an oil-free option.
The flavors are perfect for fall. This would be a colorful and delicious starter soup for the holiday table, too!
Ingredient Notes
In this recipe, butternut squash, red lentils, sage, onion, and vegetable broth are simmered into a delicious, quick, and easy vegan soup everyone will love!
Here are a few good reasons to add this soup to your fall meal rotation:
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is sweet-tasting, with brightly colored flesh that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins A, C & B-6, as well as trace elements such as manganese, copper, potassium, and folate. When available, enjoy the winter squash often. See all recipes on TSV using Butternut Squash!
Lentils
As a vegan, I’m always doing my best to include high-protein plant-based sources when I can. The addition of lentils is perfect, adding extra thickness to the overall soup. Lentils of all colors should be a part of any heart-healthy diet. Here you can find all recipes on TSV using Lentils!
Sage
The addition of sage is perfect for the fall season and offers its own health benefits, such as boosting brain function and acting as an anti-inflammatory. Two great reasons to add this herb wherever you can! Find all recipes on TSV using Sage.
How To Cut Butternut Squash For Soup
Prepping butternut squash is super easy, but you can use pre-cut squash for convenience and skip this step.
- Cut off the top and bottom. Start by slicing off the very top and bottom of the butternut squash.
- Peel: Using a vegetable peeler, peel away the tough outer layer of skin.
- Discard seeds: Slice the butternut squash in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them.
- Cut: Place the butternut squash cut-side down and slice into 3/4-inch slices.
- Cube: Take 3 slices at a time, lay them on their sides, and cut each in half lengthwise. Cut the halves into cubes, and repeat until the butternut squash is completely cubed.
How To Make Butternut Squash + Red Lentil Soup
Here is a quick look at the steps. The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
- Sauté: Sauté the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and squash, and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer: Add lentils, broth, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Soup will be done when the squash is fork-tender and the lentils are soft.
- Puree: Once the soup has slightly cooled, puree with an immersion blender or a food processor (the latter may require 2 or 3 batches). Add additional liquids as needed to achieve the desired thickness.
And that’s it – now you are ready to enjoy!
Top Tips
- Change up the herbs with spices. Instead of sage, try using 1 teaspoon EACH of dried ginger, turmeric, and coriander (a reader recommendation).
- Feel free to enjoy this soup without blending. You can also use a potato masher instead of pureeing, which will add some creaminess while still leaving a little chunkiness.
- Use only red lentils in this recipe. Using other lentils will turn the soup a muddy color, and other lentils take longer to cook. If you can’t find red lentils at your local grocery store, try ordering them online.
- Thick or thin. This soup is meant to be thick, but you can add a tad more water to thin it out if you like.
How To Store + Reheat
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored for 5-6 days in a covered container.
- Freezer: This butternut squash red lentil soup is freezer-friendly and keeps for up to 2-3 months. To freeze, let cool completely, then store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2-inch head space for expansion. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags (remove as much air as possible before ziplocking). Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave in 30-60-second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is extremely hearty on its own, but it can be made into an even more well-rounded meal with any of these serving suggestions:
- Salad: Pair with a side salad, like this Classic House Salad or Kale, Date & Almond Salad, for added leafy greens and roughage.
- Bread: Serve with a chunk of homemade No Knead Bread or Naan for dipping and swiping up the juices.
- Toppings: This soup is great topped with toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans. You can also add chopped fresh sage or parsley for a pop of color.
- Sides: Serve with Crispy Baked Kale Chips, Savory Sauteed Kale, Roasted Brussels Sprout + Butternut Squash, or Vegan Collard Greens.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
You can never have too many ways to use this flavorful squash. Here are a few of our favorites:
If you try this easy soup recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love hearing what you think or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Red Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
Rich in protein and lightly flavored with sage, this one pot soup is so healthy, easy and simple! Can be made a day or two ahead and reheated as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water (for water saute)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 lb. butternut squash, cubed 3/4 inch (about 6 – 8 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 2 teaspoons dried sage or 2 tablespoons fresh minced
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- mineral salt & white or fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cube Squash: Slice off the very top and bottom, discard. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the hard outer skin. Cut the butternut squash in half, remove seeds, and cut the squash into 1/2″ cubes (the smaller the cubes are, the quicker they will cook).
Sauté: In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil/water over medium-high heat, add onions, and saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add sage and squash and cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Simmer: Add lentils, broth, and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender and the lentils are soft.
Puree: Once ready and slightly cooled, puree the soup using your preferred method. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup right in the pot until the desired consistency. Or you can puree in your blender or food processor; this method may take 2 or 3 batches. Add extra liquids as needed for the desired thickness.
Serve: Ladle into individual serving bowls and top with pine nuts and chopped sage, if you like; fresh-cracked pepper would also be great.
Serves 4 – 6
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. Let thaw before reheating. Reheat on the stovetop over low until warmed through.
Notes
I used Better Than Bouillon paste, about 2 teaspoons with 7 cups of water. I find that’s plenty of flavor, and my soup was great. If not using vegetable broth, I might suggest adding 1 teaspoon or so of each garlic powder and onion powder, and maybe a smidge of coriander to add extra flavor to the soup.
Add in chopped carrots, about 2 large, if you like.
You may just as well enjoy this soup without blending. Or you may prefer to use a potato masher; this will add some creaminess while still leaving some chunkiness.
Only red lentils will work with this recipe. For one, the color would be altered, making it look muddied. Secondly, other lentils take longer to cook. If you can’t find red lentils at your local grocery store, try ordering them online.
Try using this as a pasta sauce, or serve it with rice.
This can be made a day or two ahead and reheated before serving.
Instead of sage, try using 1 teaspoon each dried ginger, turmeric, and coriander (a reader recommendation).
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: blend, Simmer
- Cuisine: Fusion
I am a huge lover of all soups but this one is top of my list. Sooo yummy! I some pre cooked spaghetti squash that needed using up as well as the butternut and carrots too, otherwise followed your recipe. Thank you for this I will definitely be making this one regularly. Love the added red lentils to give it the nutritional boost aswell!
One of my favorites now!
Great recipe! I added an orange steamed yams since I had one as well as a pre-baked butternut squash and I used an Instant Pot too cook these with the onion / garlic / red lentils, blending at the end as directed, and it was SO GOOD. Very balanced flavor – the savory onion flavor balances out the sweet squash and yam perfectly.
I’m a lazy vegan and hardly cook ever, but I’m obsessed with this soup and have made it 4 times already this fall, using about 4-5 tablespoons of fresh sage from my garden to really enhance that awesome flavor. Everyone I’ve made it for loves it too, so thank you for this delicious and healthy recipe!
Absolutely delicious meal. Fast and easy. Added some red pepper flakes and went heavy on the coriander and it was amazing
Do you think this would work in the slow cooker?
Great question, Ashley! Yes, the recipe will work in a slow cooker. Add everything to the bowl, finishing with the broth, give a good stir, and cook on High for 3 – 4 hours or Low for 6 -7 hours. You may want to check on it to make sure there is enough water halfway to 3/4 of the way through cooking. Puree as directed. I hope that helps. Enjoy!
I did not care for the sage and it, I do like thyme instead. I have to adjust my liquid to red lentil ratio because I like the thicker soup. Also it will thicken if you use the immersion blender. I added a couple of carrots but I think the yam would be better. I also have a recipe of pumpkin and red lentilsSoup which is sweeter. Not sure if I will make this again
Simple, creamy, & so delicious! This soup is absolutely fabulous — I love the sage & butternut squash combination. Thank you for another wonderful + easy vegan dinner Julie!
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Christin! Thanks for sharing! :)
So simple and really good. A friend brought this to a girls weekend and it was a huge hit. I was thrilled to see how easy the recipe was. Thanks for this recipe!
I cook from scratch. A lot. I especially enjoy healthy recipes that people I’m feeding (particularly those who get irritated with my ‘health food’ soap box) don’t know that I’m stuffing GOOD STUFF down their throats. What I love is that even the pickiest of eaters really like this soup; I make it multiple times during the fall and winter seasons because it’s ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS…it tastes even better over the next couple of days. A dollop of sour cream, pine nuts, and a little sage sprinkled on the top makes it pretty and even more tasty. Let me emphasize…I NEVER throw away even a drop of this soup!
So glad you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for sharing, Marcie!
Love this soup!