Apple, Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup

Who doesn’t like Butternut Squash?  Between you and me, as a kid, I was afraid of it, in fact I was flatly afraid of all squashes.  Why?  Because squashes were over cooked, boring and always cooked the same way.  But oddly, it was those gooey foods like Lasagne that got me to LIKE veggies to begin with. They were the gateway into allowing those green mystery plants into the crisper drawer to begin with.  This recipe is one of those veggie hiders… if you don’t like vegetables (yet!), this is the soup for you.

I created this recipe for an Iftar dinner.  The lentils are traditional, and the taste is easy on the tummy after you have been fasting all day. It’s got protein and a robust heaviness to it that will make you feel full.  I adore it over Quinoa or Millet

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Butternut Squash, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

A quick and protein packed soup

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Author Terradon Iler

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup broth for stir frying
• 2 12 oz bags cubed butternut squash
• 3 large carrots skins on, chopped
• 1 green apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 fennel bulb chopped
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups No Chicken Vegetable broth
• Unsweetened coconut yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat with broth. Place the butternut squash, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the fennel are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. if you want, you can just stop here and eat it. It’s yummy.
4. Or, you can pour the soup (in batches) into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
5. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency.
6. Serve with yogurt and pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Recipe Notes

Tip: Serve over steamed broccoli, quinoa, millet or buckwheat
You can change the butternut squash for sweet potatoes or yams.