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Red Lentil Kabocha Soup

Red lentils and kabocha blend together to make a creamy, satisfying, and high protein soup. Plant-based, gluten-free, and nut-free!
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bowl of red lentil kabocha soup, cashew cream in small bowl below
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds or cashews
  • 1½-2 lb kabocha squash about ½ a medium kabocha
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp ginger minced
  • 1 carrot chopped, optional
  • handful of celery leaves chopped, optional
  • 1 apple peeled and chopped, optional for a sweeter soup
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup dry red lentils rinsed
  • 4-5 cups vegetable broth**
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp salt and pepper or more to taste

Instructions

  • Soak sunflower seeds in a bowl of water while you prepare the soup.
  • Prep kabocha: Use a peeler to peel some of the green skin off the kabocha. I like to leave some of the skin on for nutrients, but this will make the soup a darker color. Cut kabocha in half and scoop out the seeds, then chop into chunks.
  • Heat butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once butter melts (or oil is hot), Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until softened.
  • Add garlic and ginger and stir for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add kabocha, carrots, celery leaves, apple (if using), and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
  • Add bay leaf, rinsed lentils, and 4 cups of broth. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
  • Skim off the white foam that appears on top, ideally using a mesh sieve but a spoon will work too. Reduce heat if the soup is boiling too aggressively - you want to maintain a simmer. Add more vegetable broth if the veggies aren't submerged in liquid.
  • Once you've removed the foam, add thyme, cover the pot, and simmer until kabocha is soft, about 15 minutes. A fork should easily pierce through the kabocha. Turn off heat and remove bay leaf.
  • Drain sunflower seeds and blend with some of the soup first, then blend the rest of the soup. You can use an immersion blender, or let the soup cool a bit then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches - don't overfill your blender.) Taste soup and add salt/pepper as desired.

Notes

Vegetable Broth: You can also use water + vegetable bouillon (I use 1 1/2 tsp better than bouillon*).