Name: Flu Fighting Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 29 min
Total time: 34 min
Ingredients: 1 large Red Bell Pepper, cubed; 1 med (around 500 g) Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cubed; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tsp Flaky Sea Salt; 2 tbsp Coconut Oil; 1 med Onion, diced; 6 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 tbsp Ginger, minced; 1 tbsp Garam Masala; 2 tsp Turmeric; 1 can (400 mL) Coconut Milk; 500 mL (2 cups) Vegetable Stock ((I used 2 oxo cubes)); 1 can Lentils, drained and rinsed. (see recipe notes if cooking your own lentils.); 150 g Frozen Spinach; 1/2 med Lime, juiced

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This flu fighting soup is my newest obsession – roasted butternut squash and red bell pepper add a delicious sweetness to the spiced coconut and lentil base resulting in an explosion of flavour with every bite! Not only is it super tasty, but it’s absolutely packed with nutrients – it’s high in vitamin C which helps fight off those pesky colds, plant based protein and healthy fats, it’s the perfect soup for flu season (or any season, actually!)

This flu fighting soup is easy to make and also budget friendly. I recommend making a big batch and freezing the leftovers for the next time you feel under the weather. Serve with fresh crusty bread and eat it while wrapped up in a huge fluffy blanket – you’ll be feeling better in no time.

Ingredients

The base of the soup is made from coconut milk, full fat is definitely best but I’ve also tried this recipe with the reduced fat version and it’s still really good – good news if you’re trying to watch your fat intake.

Green lentils are here for some plant based protien, on this occasion I used tinned lentils which are already cooked. You can use tinned lentils, or cook your own. Around 75 g dried lentils are equivalent to one tin, once cooked.

ingredients for the flu fighting soup — **Lime not pictured

The base of the soup is spiced with garam masala, turmeric, garlic, ginger and plenty of black pepper. Turmeric and ginger are known for their flu fighting properties so don’t omit these!

To take this soup to the next level, butternut squash and red pepper are roasted before adding them in at the end. You could just add them straight into the soup and cook them in the broth, but I highly recommend roasting them first – it really helps to bring out their sweetness!

Finally, spinach is added for a bit of green – it’s another boost of vitamins! Fresh or frozen is fine.

Substitutions

Full fat coconut milk can be swapped for the low-fat kind (but make sure it is the kind you get in a tin)

Making the Flu Fighting Soup

To make this incredible flu fighting soup, start by roasting the squash and pepper. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C while you peel and cube the butternut squash, and chop the red pepper. To a roasting dish, add cubed butternut squash and red bell pepper. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

While your veggies roast, begin making the soup on the stove. Heat a large pan on a medium heat and add in the coconut oil. Add your diced onion and sautee until they begin to turn translucent. Now add in the minced garlic and ginger. Sautee until fragrant, careful not to burn the garlic.

Now add in your dried spices – turmeric and garam masala. Sautee for another 2 minutes.

Next, add in the coconut milk, vegetable stock, canned lentils and frozen spinach. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer on a low heat for 25-30 minutes, until the spinach has thawed and around the same time that the roasted veggies have finished cooking.

Your roasted butternut squash and red pepper have finished cooking when the squash is tender. Add everything into the soup pan and stir. Squeeze in the juice of half of a lime and stir well. Season now to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper.

More Information

You can enjoy this flu fighting soup immediately, with fresh bread, or save it for later. Allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring to an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.
It will save in the fridge for up to 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For more soup recipes, click here!

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Flu Fighting Soup

Spiced butternut, lentil and coconut soup

Course dinner, lunch, Soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 29

Total Time 34

Servings 4

Calories 438kcal

Ingredients

Roasted Veggies

1 large Red Bell Pepper, cubed
1 med (around 500 g) Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cubed
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Flaky Sea Salt

Soup

2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 med Onion, diced
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Ginger, minced
1 tbsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Turmeric
1 can (400 mL) Coconut Milk
500 mL (2 cups) Vegetable Stock (I used 2 oxo cubes)
1 can Lentils, drained and rinsed. see recipe notes if cooking your own lentils.
150 g Frozen Spinach
1/2 med Lime, juiced

Instructions

Roasted Veggies

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F
Toss the cubed butternut squash and red pepper in the olive oil and flaky sea salt in an oven roasting dish.
Put the roasting dish in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes. Check on them after 20 minutes and give them a mix to ensure they cook evenly.

Soup

While the veggies are roasting, start on the soup.
Add the coconut oil to a large pan on a medium heat on the stove.
When its melted and the pan is hot, add in the diced onion. Sautee for 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent.
Now add in the minced ginger and garlic. Sautee for another few minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Now add the garam masala and turmeric. Turn the heat down to low and sautee for another 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic or spices.
Add in the coconut milk, vegetable stock, lentils and frozen spinach. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the spinach has completely thawed.
When the roasted vegetables are cooked, add them into the soup along with a squeeze of lime and stir to combine.
Season to taste, with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

If you’re using canned lentils, drain and rinse them first. If you’re cooking your own lentils, start with 75 g dried green lentils and simmer in water for 20-25 minutes. Drain and rinse before adding to the soup.

Full fat coconut milk is recommended, but reduced fat coconut milk also works well.

If you’re short on time, you can cook the butternut squash and red pepper directly into the soup (although you will lose a bit of flavour). Just add the cubed veggies to the soup when you add the coconut milk, stock, lentils and spinach and simmer until the squash is tender.

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For another deliciously cosy vegan soup, check out my lasagne soup recipe!