Butternut Squash Soup with Puy Lentils and Parma Ham Grissini
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Soups & Bowls
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
305
Butternut squash soup with puy lentils is one of those dishes that invites you in before you’ve even picked up a spoon. Sweet butternut squash is simmered with thyme and garlic then blitzed until silky, poured over a small mound of earthy puy lentils beneath. Finished with a gentle swirl of cream and a sprig of thyme, serve the crisp grissini wrapped in Parma ham on the side – salty, crunchy and deliciously textural. It’s the sort of starter that sets a relaxed, generous mood, perfect for an easy supper or the beginning of a lunch that quietly stretches on.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut, peeled and deseeded
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme, plus a few more for decoration
- 800ml chicken stock
-
200g puy lentils, cooked in stock (alternatively use a sachet precooked)
- 600ml chicken stock
- Salt and ground black pepper
-
Grissini (Italian bread sticks)
- 100g Parma ham
-
A splash of double cream
Directions
- Put the puy lentils in a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over them. Place them in a saucepan with the chicken stock and seasoning and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Top up the stock if the lentils get dry.
- Cut the butternut into even sized pieces and add them to a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and thyme and then pour over the chicken stock. Simmer until tender. Add seasoning and then use a stick blender to puree.
- Wrap slices of Parma ham around each grissini.
- To serve, spoon a small mound of the lentils into each bowl and then pour over the soup. Add a dash of cream and a sprig of thyme for decoration and rest the Parma ham wrapped grissini on the side.
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
Make it ahead: Both the lentils and the soup can be made a day in advance and gently reheated. Keep them separate until serving so the lentils stay distinct beneath the soup.
Texture tip: If the soup feels a little thick once blended, loosen it with extra hot stock rather than water — it keeps the flavour rounded and savoury.
Serving idea: This is lovely served in shallow bowls so you can see the contrast between the lentils and the soup. Add the cream at the table for a more generous, relaxed feel.
Entertaining shortcut: Wrap the Parma ham around the grissini a few hours ahead and keep them loosely covered — they stay crisp and make an easy, elegant finishing touch.
Seasonal swap: In early autumn, pumpkin works just as well as butternut squash, and in late winter a mix of squash and carrot is delicious.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 500ml
- per serving
- Calories
- 305
- Carbs
- 34 grams
- 12%
- Protein
- 17 grams
- 34%
- Fiber
- 9 grams
- 32%
- Fat
- 11 grams
- 14%
- Saturated Fat
- 4.5 grams
- 23%
- Cholesterol
- 35 milligrams
- 12%