Red Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash, Coconut Milk and Curry

Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Curry
Printer-friendly copy
Alice Henneman, MS, RDN, Extension Educator

The curry powder and cayenne pepper add so much flavor to this soup, you may not want to reach for the salt shaker. Butternut squash is especially high in vitamin A and also a good source of potassium. Tomatoes provide vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, as well as, being the richest dietary source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may contribute to heart health and have possible anti-cancer benefits. Lentils are a source of protein with 1/4 cup of cooked lentils providing 1 ounce-equivalent from the Protein Foods Group. Red lentils taste the sweetest and nuttiest of the lentils. And, last but not least…this soup tastes great!

Makes 8 1-cup servings as a side dish or 4-6 servings as a main dish

IngredientsRemoving the seeds from a butternut squash with an ice cream scoop

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups dry red lentils
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups reduced sodium or no-salt-added chicken stock or broth
  • 1 (14 oz.) can lower fat, unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 (15 oz.) can diced, no-salt-added tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat until it simmers. Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic after onion is tender and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the squash and lentils are tender.

Alice's Notes:
Transfer any leftover soup to shallow containers to speed cooling; keep perishable foods (such as this soup) at room
temperature no longer than a TOTAL of 2 hours. You can place loosely-covered foods in the refrigerator while still warm;
cover when the food is completely cooled. Plan to eat leftovers within 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage. For best
quality and flavor, eat this soup within 2-3 months.

Photos by Alice Henneman