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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour
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Serves
8
Author Notes
This flavourful, sweet and savoury stew checks off all the boxes.
Comfort, warmth, rich, and nutrient dense!
Try swapping out ingredients or adding others.
Apples, ginger, carrots...
add your own flare - add a pinch of cayenne or some smoked paprika.
Toast the seeds in advance or add pepitas as a garnish.
Benefits of Butternut Squash :
low in calories at just 82 per cup. High in many nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium. It’s also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and copper. Along with it's high fibre content it's an excellent food for those looking to lose or maintain a healthy weight. The high antioxidant content of butternut squash may help reduce your risk of certain conditions, such as heart disease, lung cancer, and mental decline. It's also an excellent anti-inflammatory.
Benefits of Lentils:
Lentils are an excellent plant protein at 17.9 grams per cup. This high fibre food can increase your gut function and supports a healthy digestive system. Lentils may protect your heart by supporting weight loss, and improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are immune system supporting vegetables rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants that protect your body from free radical damage and chronic disease. They are rich in beta-carotene and anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health.
—Darlene Calderone Pn1 BCS CPT VGFI
—Darlene Calderone Pn1 BCS CPT VGFI
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Ingredients
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2.5 pounds
butternut squash, quartered seeds & stem removed
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2
sweet potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
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1
ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
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1
medium yellow onion, small diced
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1.5 cups
dry split red lentils
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2
cloves garlic, finely minced
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6 cups
low sodium vegetable broth
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1 tablespoon
avocado oil (or other neutral oil of choice)
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1/2 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
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1/2 teaspoon
dried sage
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salt and pepper to taste
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1 cup
water
Directions
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Prepare Instant Pot (IP)
Place trivet or a steam basket in IP inner pot. Add water.
Place squash and sweet potato into the pot. Try to keep the skin side facing the walls of the pot instead of the flesh side.
Season with salt and pepper before closing lid and locking the vent.
Set IP - 13 minutes high pressure.
Allow to natural release. (around 15 minutes)
Press Cancel.
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Carefully remove squash and potatoes and set aside to cool on a cutting board.
Remove trivet from pot, and using gloves or a towel, remove inner pot, discard water and rinse pot before placing back inside the IP.
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Set IP to saute on the low setting, adding oil once the display indicates it’s hot.
Once oil is shimmering, add onion, seasoning with salt and pepper and stir.
Saute for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. If the onion start to stick, add a splash of stock to prevent it from burning while you continue with step 4.
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The squash and sweet potato should be cool enough to handle.
The potato skins should easily peel off.
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the butternut squash.
Discard skins.
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Add garlic, pear, sage & nutmeg to the pot.
Saute for around 30 seconds, stirring and adding a splash or two of stock to prevent the garlic from burning.
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Add the lentils, squash, sweet potato & stock.
Stir to combine thoroughly.
Press Cancel on the IP.
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Replace and close the lid, locking the valve and set to the soup setting at high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow to natural release for 10 minutes before releasing the valve to release the steam.
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Remove the lid and stir, breaking up any remaining fruit or vegetables. Soup should be a thick, stew-like consistency, but you can add more stock if you would like to change that.
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Divide soup into bowls, garnish with pepper and freshly grated nutmeg and serve on it's own, or with a nice crusty bread.
Enjoy!
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