Have you been looking for a cozy, hug-in-a-bowl recipe during the chillier months? This incredible curried pumpkin lentil soup recipe has everything you could want in a soup. It’s hearty, filled with warm flavors, and delicious with your favorite crackers or a side of garlic naan (yum).
Soup season is probably my favorite time of year and this is truly the perfect recipe to kick it off! You’ll love how easy it is to make with a few pantry staples and spices. Plus, it’s filled with wonderful pumpkin flavor and I know you’re all pumpkin-obsessed like I am.
Make a big batch and freeze some for later, or serve it up and watch the kiddos fall in love, too! Lunch & dinner is served.
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Ingredients in vegan pumpkin lentil soup
This nourishing vegan curried pumpkin lentil soup is full of nutrients and cozy flavors that you’ll love all season long. Plus, it packs some veggies and is easy to make! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Veggies: we’re adding onion and carrot for a veggie and texture boost in this lentil soup. You’ll need a bit of olive oil to cook them down.
- Herbs & spices: gotta have savory garlic, plus some freshly grated ginger, yellow curry powder and a kick of heat from cayenne pepper (if you’d like). Round out all of the flavors with salt and pepper to taste!
- For the broth: keep the soup vegan & vegetarian with vegetarian broth or water. You’ll also add light coconut milk for subtle sweetness. So good! The broth will help thin the soup and cook the lentils.
- Lentils: you can use green or brown lentils in this recipe. Just be sure to sort and rinse them.
- Pumpkin puree: gotta have that pumpkin flavor in the pumpkin lentil soup! Feel free to use canned pumpkin puree or make your own with this tutorial.
- To garnish: I like to top my bowl with extra fresh diced cilantro, greek yogurt, salsa (it’s so good!), pita or naan bread for dipping.
Customize your soup
Looking for an ingredient swap or addition in this pumpkin lentil soup? Here’s what I can recommend:
- Swap the pumpkin. I think pureed sweet potato would also be delicious as the base in this recipe.
- Up the protein. While the soup already has almost 10g of protein per serving thanks to the lentils, this soup would also be delicious with cooked, ground turkey or chicken.
- Add a kick of heat. If you like spice, feel free to bump up the cayenne pepper! Cool it off with extra coconut milk on top or even greek yogurt.
How to make pumpkin lentil curry soup
- Cook down the veggies. Start by adding olive oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add spices. Bring the heat to medium low and add in ginger, curry powder and cayenne. Stir together for 30 seconds.
- Pull it all together. Next stir in water or broth, coconut milk, lentils and pumpkin puree. If you’d like, you can reserve 2 tablespoons of coconut milk for drizzling on top once the soup is done. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook & simmer. Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium low for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. The soup should thicken up, but if it gets too thick for your liking, then feel free to add an extra ½ cup-1 cup water or broth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish and serve. Serve soup immediately and drizzle in a circle with leftover coconut milk. Garnish with cilantro, yogurt and salsa if you’d like. I love to serve mine with naan or pita bread for dipping.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store this creamy pumpkin lentil soup recipe in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop!
- To freeze: let the soup completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Our fav sides to serve this pumpkin lentil soup
What’s a soup without delicious sides? Here are some of our favorite ones to serve with the soup:
More pumpkin recipes to try
Get all of our delicious pumpkin recipes here!
I hope you love this delicious vegan curried pumpkin lentil soup recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Vegan pumpkin lentil soup made with creamy coconut milk, delicious spices and plenty of pumpkin flavor. This easy pumpkin lentil curry soup is packed with nourishing ingredients and plenty of protein for a wonderful lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon mild yellow curry powder
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne (only if you like a little heat)
- 3 cups water or vegetarian broth
- 1 cup green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (reserve 2 tablespoons for drizzling on top of soup)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To garnish:
- Extra fresh diced cilantro
- Greek yogurt
- Salsa (it’s so good!)
- Pita or naan bread for dipping
Instructions
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Add olive oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Bring heat to medium low and add in ginger, curry powder and cayenne, stir together for 30 seconds.
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Next stir in water/broth, coconut milk, lentils and pumpkin puree. If you’d like, you can reserve 2 tablespoons of coconut milk for drizzling on top once the soup is done. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium low for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. The soup should thicken up. (If it gets too thick for your liking, then feel free to add an extra ½ cup-1 cup water or broth.) Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Serve soup immediately and drizzle in a circle with leftover coconut milk. Garnish with cilantro, yogurt and salsa if you’d like. I love to serve mine with naan or pita bread for dipping. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
To reheat: first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 4)Calories: 248calCarbohydrates: 37.9gProtein: 9.7gFat: 8.6gSaturated Fat: 5.3gFiber: 11.2gSugar: 7.5g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 8, 2020, republished on September 20, 2021, and republished on October 16th, 2024.