Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup (Shorabit Jarjir)

I absolutely LOVE red lentil soup. I have tried many versions and enjoy each one just as much as the last. This version seemed perfect for autumn with the incorporation of butternut squash. The squash added a subtle sweetness and beautiful color.

I made this wonderful velvety soup in advance to serve for lunch on Thanksgiving Day. (I am sure it freezes well!) This recipe was adapted from Saveur. I doubled the original recipe and decreased the amount of olive oil and red pepper flakes. We ate it with green salad and naan. Perfect.

Yield: Serves 12

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed red chile flakes
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled, seeded, cubed, and then finely chopped
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 12 cups organic chicken stock
• 2 cups red lentils
• finely chopped parsley, for garnish
• paprika, for garnish
• flatbread (naan) and lemon wedges, for serving

1. Finely chop the garlic, carrots, celery, and onion in a food processor.
2. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized, 12 to 14 minutes.
3. While the base is cooking, finely chop the cubed butternut squash in a food processor.
4. Stir the cumin, chile flakes, squash, salt, and pepper into the carrot-celery-onion mixture; cook until squash is soft, about 15 minutes.
5. Add stock and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, slightly covered, until lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Let soup cool slightly, then, working in batches, purée soup until smooth. (I used an immersion blender.)
7. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and paprika; serve with flatbread and lemon wedges on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Two Years Ago:

• Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Soufflé Cake

If you like this you may also like:

• Greek Red Lentil Soup
• Egyptian Red Lentil Soup
• Spiced Red Lentil Soup

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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