Butternut Pear Red Lentil Soup

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BUTTERNUT PEAR RED LENTIL SOUP

First off, let me just say how excited I was to have some warming, nourishing soup instead of my classic salad for dinner! And this soup did not disappoint! It was so much better than I remembered especially since the ingredients are basic simple veggies. AND…. PEAR, the roasted pear makes this soup a family favourite. It was also extremely filling and enough all on it’s own although a nice crusty piece of sourdough would be perfect to go with it:) I kept my soup pretty thick and used my immersion blender to give it this creamy consistency. You could also do batches in your blender or food processor to make it nice and smooth.

Let’s talk a little about butternut squash shall we? The butternut is a easy to find, easy to use squash that is a great source of omega 3s and beta-carotene. It’s also an excellent source of various vitamins like vitamin A, C & B-6 and trace elements such as manganese, copper, potassium and folate. I enjoy this squash all winter long as it’s so versatile and delicious.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 1 Butternut Squash
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 3 large carrots (or 6 smaller ones)
  • 2 ripe pears
  • 1 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 7-8 cups of vegetable broth (or use Better than Bouillon) 
  • 1-2 tsp of dried sage or use fresh–NOT TO BE SKIPPED!
  • Fresh parsley and pumpkin seeds for garnish

WHAT TO DO

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Chop and peel the butternut squash into cubes. They go on a greased baking dish with the cut up pears.
  3. Bake the squash and pears for 25 minutes. 
  4. While the squash is baking, start to chop up your onion, carrots and celery. Don’t be to picky about the size as you’re going to blend the soup anyways. 
  5. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat see olive oil over medium high heat, add onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add carrots, celery and sage and cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.
  6. Once the squash and pear are done add to the pot and stir.
  7. Add lentils, broth and salt & pepper, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until lentils are soft.
  8. Once ready and slightly cooled, puree soup using your preferred method.
  9. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and parsley.
  10. ENJOY

You can enjoy this soup with rice, naan bread or a nice piece of toasted sourdough. Makes great leftovers.