This seasonal soup is packed with beta-carotene from the butternut squash and carrots and is a real winter warmer. It includes spices such as turmeric and ginger and protein from smoked tofu croutons. This is my healthy and tastier take on typical deep fried croutons. You can buy smoked tofu in a lot of supermarkets and health food stores in the UK. My favourite brand is the Tofoo company, which is widely available. Please let me know in the comments below what you think of this recipe. It also freezes well and I like making a big batch for a few days. For anyone trying Veganuary, I recommend giving this well-balanced recipe a go. Heart-healthy and fibre-packed red lentils will also keep you fuller for longer.
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Tofu Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves crushed and diced
- 1 red chilli finely diced
- Fresh ginger thumb sized piece, diced
- 1 medium sized butternut squash 3 cups cubed
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 cup red lentils rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock I used 1.5 @saykallo cubes
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- In one teaspoon of olive oil (option – water if oil-free), sauté the red onion, cumin seeds, turmeric and bay leaves, for a couple of minutes – don’t let it burn. Add the garlic and chilli and sauté for another few mins, adding a splash of water to prevent it sticking.
- Add the ginger, butternut squash and carrots and coat well with the spices.
- Add the lentils, vegetable stock, basil, paprika, black pepper and salt to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 mins until the butternut squash and lentils are soft.
- Meanwhile, chop smoked tofu into small cubes and pop in an pre-heated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 8-10 minutes to firm up.
- Once the soup has cooled for a bit, blend using an immersion blender or add to a strong blender. I did it in a couple of batches in my Vitamix. I like my soup relatively thick but add a splash of water if you prefer.
- Serve hot with the smoked tofu croutons. Yum!
