Description
This hearty lentil and winter squash soup is a comforting, nutrient-packed dish perfect for chilly days. Combining earthy French green lentils, sweet butternut squash, and a medley of aromatic vegetables and warming spices, it offers a rich and creamy texture thanks to partial blending. Easy to prepare in one pot, it’s ideal for batch cooking and delivers robust flavors with fresh lemon and greens added at the end.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (1 large)
- 1 cup diced carrot (2 medium)
- ½ cup diced celery (1 rib)
- ½ cup diced parsnip (1 small)
- 4 cups butternut squash cubes (¾-inch)
- 1 cup chopped kale or spinach
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Pantry Items & Spices
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 1½ cups French green lentils, rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the pot: Heat a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat for 90 seconds to prepare it for sautéing.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the olive oil, diced onion, carrot, celery, and parsnip to the pot. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes until the vegetables start to brown around the edges, developing deep flavor.
- Bloom paste & spices: Clear a space in the pot and add the tomato paste, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and ground cinnamon. Stir continuously for about 90 seconds to release the spices’ aroma and enhance the tomato paste’s flavor.
- Deglaze: Pour in the apple cider to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom, which adds rich flavor to the base.
- Simmer: Stir in the rinsed lentils, butternut squash cubes, bay leaves, and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 35 minutes until the lentils and squash are tender.
- Blend: Remove and discard the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup 4–5 times to achieve a creamy yet chunky texture, maintaining some body while smoothing the consistency.
- Finish: Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped kale or spinach, and fresh parsley. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes to wilt the greens and meld the flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve the soup hot.
Notes
- French green lentils hold their shape well but still soften nicely; substitute with brown or green lentils if needed.
- Partial blending creates a creamy texture while keeping some chunks for heartiness.
- Lemon zest and juice added at the end brighten the earthy flavors of the soup.
- Make sure to rinse lentils before cooking to remove any debris.
- This soup stores well and tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep.
- Adjust the thickness by adding more broth if desired after blending.
