Butternut Squash Red Lentil Soup- Instant Pot Version

This is one of my favorite soup recipes. 

It is spicy, rich in flavor, filling and easy to make.

Combined with red lentils, butternut squash makes a hearty fall and winter weather soup that is filling, comforting, and delicious. The savory flavors in this soup come from tomatoes, peppers, onions, chiles, potatoes and cumin (see my notes at the bottom of the page for my shortcuts).

Most Yellow Vegetables Can Be Interchangeable in this soup.

The yellow vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes are pretty much able to be substituted in this soup. All four have similar flavors, with sweet potatoes being the sweetest and having the heaviest texture. My first choice for this soup is still the butternut squash for the best flavor, however I frequently use carrots when I can't get the squash.

Make it in the Instant Pot 

Although this recipe could also be made on the stove top, I make this version in the Instant Pot. It's fast and easy, especially if you buy pre-cut up containers of butternut squash to avoid having to peel, clean out the seeds, and chop the firm squash.

Set To Pressure Cook for 11 Minutes

I added all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, set the pressure cooker for 11 minutes, walked away and came back when I heard the beeper signal me. EASY!

I love this peeler- this one (affiliate link)
Get yourself a good efficient peeler that peels with ease.
I like this one (affiliate link) and it makes a huge difference if you need to peel your butternut squash.

Are you still holding out getting an Instant Pot? 

I find that I use my Instant Pot for everything, and I really depend on it and love it. This (affiliate Link) is the one I use.

One great advantage is that clean up is a snap too with the IP. Initially I thought it might just be another appliance that would sit on the counter taking up space- NOT SO! I use my Instant almost everyday. I make the basics such as  any kind of grain, pasta, almost any vegetable, and all kinds of soups. 

No spills and no burning : 

There are never any spills on the stove top to clean up. I only need to clean the insert of the IP which cleans in a snap.

Of course there are additional interesting recipes you can make in the IP such as cake, lasagna, and meat and chicken dishes if you so indulge. etc.

Back to this soup recipe: 

When the soup is done, I partially puree it and intentionally leave some chunks of vegetables in it. I don't care for the texture of super smooth soup, but you might- so you decide how much to puree.

My husband and I enjoy this soup for lunch with some gluten-free crackers. The red lentils added protein to an otherwise vegetable based soup. With generous amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein, this delicious soup is an all around winner. 

I'm thinking this could be a good choice for Thanksgiving made with  pumpkin and pumpkin spices.

Ingredients: 

1 cup of chopped onion

2 cups of chopped tomatoes (or see notes at bottom of page)

1 cup of chopped green or red peppers

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (or less to your own taste)

STOP! 

You can speed up the prep by substituting a jar of chunky salsa 

for the 4 ingredients above which is basically the same ingredients.

2 cups of butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 cup of red lentils, washed well 

2 cups of diced potatoes

4 cups of vegetable broth (I like Tabatchnicks)

4 cups of water 

1 teaspoon or more to taste of ground cumin

Cracked black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime per bowl 

Directions:

Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Cover and set to pressure cook for 11 minutes. When done, allow to sit or about 5-10 minutes and then manually release the steam according to the manufacturers directions. When all the steam has been released, carefully remove the lid and partially blend with an immersion blender. 

Notes and Time Savers for This Recipe 

Shortcuts for making this soup. 

1. Use pre-cut butternut squash cubes from the supermarket

2. Substitute 2 cups of chunky organic mild or medium salsa from a jar for the onions, tomatoes, peppers, and chiles. (I get my salsa at Whole Foods or Aldi)

Like a sweeter not savory butternut squash soup? 

 Try my (recipe link) sweet butternut squash soup made with apples or pears.  

Disclaimer: 

I am an affiliate for Amazon and may be compensated if you follow a link from my blog and make a qualified purchase- it is at absolutely no cost to you. I appreciate your support for helping me maintain the cost of running a free blog.

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