This Creamy Red Lentil Butternut Squash Soup is a healthy and delicious vegetarian meal that’s packed with protein and nutrients! Top it with smoked almonds, cilantro and a drizzle of Greek yogurt for an easy weeknight dinner. 

Thanks to my friends at ADA Mideast for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.

This Creamy Red Lentil Butternut Squash Soup is one of my soup recipes that I consider a powerhouse soup. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s a soup that’s loaded with nutrients and won’t leave you hungry 30 minutes after you eat it.

So what makes this soup nutrient dense and filling? There’s several things, but let’s start with the red lentils. They’re a great source of fiber, complex carbs, protein, folate, potassium, iron and maganese. They’re a hearty substitute for meat and work great in vegetarian main dishes and side dishes.

Butternut squash, one of my favorite types of squash to cook with and eat. It’s full of antioxidants, tons of beta-carotene which helps boost your immune system and Vitamin A to help fight off inflammation. Just like red lentils, it’s also a good source of fiber and potassium.

The last powerhouse ingredient and one that I use in many of my recipes is plain Greek yogurt. If you’re ever looking for ways to boost the protein in a recipe, add Greek yogurt. 1 cup averages around 23 grams of protein. Yogurt also contains a unique package of nine essential nutrients that are key to a healthy diet. Experts recommend 3 servings of dairy foods every day and adding Greek yogurt to this soup is one way to help get you there.

Yogurt is also a lower fat alternative to ingredients like heavy cream or full fat coconut milk. It adds a nice bit of tang to this Creamy Red Lentil Butternut Squash Soup and you won’t lose any of the creaminess of the soup by using Greek yogurt, in fact I find that it actually makes the soup creamier!

The flavor of the soup is savory from the red lentils, garlic and onions and cumin. It has smoky notes from the smoked paprika, a little sweetness from the butternut squash and then that slight tang from the Greek yogurt.

Top the soup with smoked almonds and cilantro for extra flavor and texture, then devour this cozy bowl of nutrient packed goodness. Enjoy!

More Creamy Soups

Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Light Creamy Asparagus Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Creamy Red Lentil Butternut Squash Soup

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 2 teaspoons grated garlic
• 4 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 4 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat, 2% or whole all work
• Smoked almonds, cilantro, more Greek yogurt and smoked paprika for toppings

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot add in the onion and sauté just until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté another 30 secons. Add in the butternut squash, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, turmeric, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir everything together and sauté for another minute.
2. Pour in the red lentils and vegetable broth and stir together. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until the squash and lentils are soft.
3. Add the hot soup to a blender and purée until smooth. If your blender won't hold all of the soup, blend it in batches. Be careful not to fill the blender too full when blending hot soup to avoid the lid coming off.
4. Once the soup is puréed add the Greek yogurt to the soup in the blender and blend until incorporated and smooth. Serve the soup topped with chopped smoked almonds, cilantro, a drizzle of Greek yogurt and an extra sprinkle of smoked paprika.