Chunky Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup — No Blender

Chunky lentil soup with butternut squash, carrot and greens — no blender, just everything simmered together until it’s thick and warming. Makes a big pot, about 8 servings, and it’s even better the next day. This is what I make when the weather turns. It cooks mostly on its own, and the baharat is what makes it taste like mine and not like every other lentil soup. What you’ll need: 4 cups (1 liter) water to start, plus more boiling water as you go — you’ll need quite a bit 2½ cups (500g) brown lentils 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1 medium carrot, cubed 1 medium onion, diced A few handfuls of spinach and kale, finely chopped 1 tbsp salt 1 tsp seven-spice blend (baharat) ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp ground turmeric ¾ tbsp onion powder How to make it: Cook the lentils — Rinse them, cover with the water, and simmer about 30 minutes, until tender. Sauté the vegetables — While the lentils cook, sauté the onion, squash and carrot in a little oil until they pick up some color. Bring it together — Add the sautéed vegetables to the lentils and simmer 20–30 minutes, until the squash is tender but still holds its shape. Keep adding boiling water whenever it gets too thick — cold water will stop the cooking. The greens go in — Add the chopped spinach and kale and let them cook in the soup for a few minutes. Then the spices — Stir in the salt, baharat, pepper, cumin, turmeric and onion powder. Give it a few more minutes and turn off the heat. Don’t let the greens go much longer than that or they lose their color. Serve with: toast, a little butter, and roasted squash on the side drizzled with honey. Finish the bowl with finely chopped parsley — it lifts everything. If you’re a cilantro person, that works just as well. A note on the baharat: No baharat? Skip it — the soup still works. If you want to get close, a pinch each of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg will do it. About the spices: Use what you like. If one of these isn’t your thing, leave it out — or add the spices you cook with anyway. Just taste as you go. Subscribe for more easy dinner ideas —tell me in the comments: do you blend your soup or leave it chunky? #lentilsoup #butternutsquash #souprecipe #butternutsquashrecipe #kalesoup