Why you’ll like this one

October practically hands you the shopping list for this soup. Butternut squash is everywhere. Ontario apples are at their best. The evenings have started making a convincing argument for dinner from a bowl.

But this isn’t another sweet, creamy squash soup. Red lentils give it protein, fibre and enough substance to make it dinner. Ginger, curry powder, cumin and turmeric pull the flavour in a completely different direction, while a tart apple adds subtle sweetness and acidity without turning the soup into dessert.

Rather than roasting the squash, everything is built in one pot. The squash is sautéed until its edges begin to caramelize, the spices are bloomed in oil, and only part of the finished soup is blended.

You get creaminess, texture and a sink that hasn’t been turned into a cookware exhibition.

Ingredients — 6 servings

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 medium butternut squash, about 2½ lb / 1.1 kg before peeling, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes
  • 1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ tbsp mild or medium curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed thoroughly
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 can (398 mL / 14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp kosher salt initially, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 2 packed cups baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
  • ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, optional for serving

Ingredients — 12 servings

Use an 8-quart or larger heavy-bottomed stockpot.

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 2 medium butternut squash, about 5 lb / 2.2 kg total before peeling, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes
  • 2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp mild or medium curry powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
  • 2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed thoroughly
  • 12 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 cans (398 mL / 14 oz each) diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt initially, plus more after tasting
  • 2 cups light coconut milk
  • 4 packed cups baby spinach
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice initially, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
  • ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, optional for serving

Method

  1. Soften the onion. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for approximately 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften.
  2. Give the squash golden edges. Add the squash and spread it across the bottom as much as possible. Cook without stirring for 2–3 minutes, then stir and continue cooking for another 5–6 minutes. You’re developing caramelized spots, not cooking the squash through. Add the diced apple and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Bloom the spices. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic and stir constantly for about 45 seconds. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric and optional cayenne; stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. If the pot seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of stock to prevent scorching.
  4. Build the broth. Stir in the rinsed lentils. Pour in about 1 cup of stock and scrape the bottom thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining stock, diced tomatoes, black pepper and initial salt.
  5. Simmer until tender. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and partially cover. Simmer for approximately 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The squash should be completely tender and the lentils should have softened and begun thickening the broth.
  6. Blend just part of the soup. Use an immersion blender for several short bursts, leaving some squash, tomato and lentils intact. Alternatively, carefully blend approximately 3 cups until smooth and return the purée to the pot. For the double batch, blend about 6 cups. Follow your blender’s hot-liquid instructions and work in small batches.
  7. Add the creamy finish and greens. Reduce the heat to low, stir in coconut milk, then add spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. If too thick, add another ½–1 cup of stock or water, as needed.
  8. Brighten, taste and serve. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice. Taste before adding salt. The soup should be gently sweet, earthy and warm with curry, and noticeably brighter after the lime. Ladle into bowls and finish with optional cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds.

The flavour finish

The most important ingredient added at the end is fresh lime juice. Squash, apple, red lentils and coconut milk all push the soup toward soft, rounded flavours. That’s pleasant, but without contrast they can blur together.

Lime puts the edges back. Add the first two tablespoons after removing the six-serving pot from the heat, stir and taste. Use ¼ cup initially for the double batch.

The pumpkin seeds are optional, but they provide something else a puréed soup often needs: crunch.

If you can taste enough salt but the soup still seems slightly sweet or muted, add another teaspoon of lime rather than more seasoning.

Optional variations

These additions are for the 6-serving batch; double them for 12 servings.

  • Higher protein: Add one drained and rinsed 540 mL / 19 oz can of chickpeas during the final 10 minutes. Leave them whole for additional texture.
  • No coconut: Replace coconut milk with 1 cup evaporated milk. Add over low heat and don’t allow the soup to boil vigorously afterward.
  • Spicier version: Increase cayenne to ½ teaspoon or add one finely diced jalapeño with the onion.
  • More vegetable-forward: Add 2 cups small cauliflower florets during the final 10–12 minutes of simmering and leave them intact when partially blending.
  • The basic recipe is vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free when made with vegetable stock and certified packaged ingredients where necessary.

Freezer notes

This is a particularly dependable freezer soup. Red lentils and squash tolerate freezing beautifully, there’s no pasta to absorb the broth, and coconut milk generally handles freezing better than dairy cream.

  • Cool promptly after cooking. Divide into smaller containers rather than leaving the whole stockpot at room temperature.
  • Pack approximately 3 cups per container for convenient two-person meals. Leave about ½ inch of headspace in rigid freezer containers.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator whenever possible.
  • Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Lentils continue absorbing liquid, so add stock or water ¼ cup at a time to restore the consistency you like.
  • Add a fresh squeeze of lime after reheating. Freeze without cilantro and pumpkin seeds; add those when serving.
🏅 Freezer rating: Excellent

Batch-cooking tip

Pre-cut butternut squash can be a worthwhile shortcut when you’re making a large batch. For 12 servings, buying it already peeled and cubed eliminates the most time-consuming part of the recipe.

If whole squash is inexpensive, peel and cube several at once. Use what you need today, spread remaining raw cubes on baking sheets and freeze until firm. Transfer them to freezer bags.

The cubes can go directly into soups, curries and sheet-pan dinners without thawing. One wrestling match with a butternut squash is enough for the week.

What to serve with it

  • Warm whole-grain naan or flatbread
  • Cucumber salad with lime and cilantro
  • Roasted cauliflower with cumin
  • Simple cabbage and apple slaw
  • Brown basmati rice for a more substantial dinner

Nutrition snapshot

Estimated per serving: approximately 360 calories, 14 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates, 13 g fibre and 11 g fat.

These figures are estimates and will vary depending on the squash, lentils, coconut milk, stock and exact ingredients used.

For a lower-sodium version, choose unsalted or very low-sodium stock and season only after adding the lime. Curry spices, ginger, garlic, caramelized squash and acidity create enough flavour that this soup doesn’t need to rely heavily on salt.

Cook’s note

Red lentils behave very differently from brown or green lentils. As they cook, they soften and begin to break apart, which makes them excellent natural soup thickeners.

Here that’s an advantage. Instead of adding flour or lots of cream, the lentils give the broth body while contributing protein and fibre. Partial blending finishes the job, leaving you with a soup that feels creamy even though most of that creaminess came from vegetables and lentils.