Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup with Lentils and Coconut

A bowl of butternut squash and red pepper soup with ginger and coconut.

4.25 from 4 votes

Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup with Lentils and Coconut

This Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup is loaded with healthy veggies and blended until smooth and silky! It's big on flavor with fresh ginger and coconut milk, and red lentils make it high in protein. Vibrant in color, with cozy warm spices for those cold winter days!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Equipment

1 soup pot or Dutch oven
1 high speed blender or immersion blender

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 butternut squash (about 4 cups cubed)
2 red bell peppers chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons ginger minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup red lentils rinsed
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups vegetable stock
15 oz can coconut milk
Garnish with goat cheese and chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Slice off each end and cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or scoop to remove the seed cavity. Cut into ½ inch cubes. Cut the bell peppers off in sections around the stem and seeds, then chop. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and saute the butternut squash and red bell peppers. Season with salt and stir occasionally until they begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and cook another minute until fragrant.
Rinse the red lentils in a strainer under running water. Add the lentils, orange juice, honey and stock. Cover and simmer over medium to medium low heat until the squash and lentils are softened. Give it an occasional stir, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.
Puree soup using a hand-held immersion blender OR transferring to a high speed blender. Taste and add another pinch of salt if needed.
Return the soup to a low burner on the stove until ready to eat. Serve garnished with goat cheese crumbles and chopped fresh parsley with warm naan or flatbread for dipping.

Notes

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the butternut squash and the ginger.
This soup is blended so no need to chop your veggies perfectly!
Blend until very smooth. Be careful when blending hot soup, hold a kitchen towel over the lid and let some steam escape through the hole in the top. Blend in batches.
Thickness - If you soup is too thick while blending, add water or stock to thin. If it becomes too thin, simmer and stir, allowing the steam to escape will thicken and concentrate the soup.
Toppings - If you aren't a fan of goat cheese, you can top this soup with crumbled feta, homemade croutons, toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, seedy crackers, pita chips, a dollop of plain yogurt, or different fresh herbs. Chives, basil, cilantro, thyme or rosemary would all give you unique flavors.

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