Golden Lentil Soup

My goal with this soup was to create a really good lentil soup. I have my lentil sausage soup on the blog which is excellent and uses green lentils which are larger than the red lentils in this soup recipe. Red lentils cook down until their texture is almost nonexistent, and when cooked with other vegetables, broth, and cashew cream gives you a creamy soup that’s packed with veggies and fiber. This soup recipe is so flavorful, seasoned with ingredients like ginger, turmeric, cumin, and smoked paprika. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end adds brightness and acidity for the perfect balance. And finally, this soup recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan! The creaminess in the soup comes from the lentils cooking down as well as cashew cream, which I also use in my dairy-free zuppa Toscana.

Ingredients for Golden Lentil Soup

• Olive oil: for cooking down the vegetable as well as drizzling over the croutons.
• Vegetables: Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and butternuts squash are used in this recipe. The onions, garlic, celery, and carrots are cooked down in olive oil first, and the butternut squash is cubed into very small pieces and added with the lentils. The squash not only adds an extra boost of vitamins, but cooked down it contributes to the smooth texture and vibrant color of the soup as well.
• Seasonings: smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, ginger, salt, and pepper all have their part in this recipe. This flavor combination is bold and also perfect for winter with the cold-fighting properties of ginger and turmeric.
• Broth: To keep the soup vegan, use vegetable broth. If you don’t need to keep it vegan, a high-quality chicken bone broth gives a lot of flavor and health benefits.
• Red lentils: It’s important to use red lentils instead of green lentils in this recipe. Red lentils are smaller and cook down to give this soup a velvety texture.
• Cashews: Raw cashews are key here for making cashew cream, a great way to add a boost of protein, healthy fats, and give the soup a creamy texture without any dairy. In a pinch, coconut milk can work in this recipe.
• Lemon juice: With a thick soup like this, I love to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for brightness and acidity.
• Sourdough or artisan bread: You can serve slices of bread alongside the soup for dunking or take the route you see here and cube the bread, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and seasonings and make croutons to sprinkle on top.

How to Make Golden Lentil Soup

• First, place your cashews in a bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Set aside.
• Next, take a large pot and heat the olive oil. Chop the carrots, celery, onions, and finely mince the garlic. Add to the pot and cook until tender and fragrant. Season with a little salt while cooking.
• Then stir in the seasonings: smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, and ginger. Finely chop your butternut squash, the same size chop as the carrots, celery, and onions. Pour in the broth and add the lentils and butternut squash. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils and squash are very tender and the whole soup is smooth.
• While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cube the bread and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and use your hands to coat evenly. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Pour the cashews and water into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour this into the soup, stir to combine, and taste and add more seasonings as needed.
• Finally, add the lemon juice. Stir to combine and serve topped with your crispy croutons!

I absolutely love this golden lentil soup, and I think you will too! It’s so cozy and nourishing and I know I’m giving my family a lot of great ingredients during the winter months when sickness can run rampant. For my kids, I serve this with cheese quesadillas for dunking and they love that combo. Anything that gets them to try something new and eat more veggies!