Creamy Vegan Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Sep 22, 2020 • Updated Dec 12, 2023
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This is the coziest Pumpkin Lentil Soup recipe, perfect for winter. It’s full of good-for-you ingredients, warm flavors, and is naturally gluten-free and vegan. It also takes less than 30 minutes to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This creamy pureed vegan Pumpkin Lentil Soup is full of plant-based protein from red lentils and natural sweetness from pumpkin, plus plenty of warm spices to soothe the soul. It makes a delicious lunch or dinner. It’s also a wonderful dish to make a big batch for meal prep and store in the fridge for a quick workday lunch.
The soup takes only 30 minutes and calls for a handful of ingredients. All you need to do is sauté and simmer in one pot, then blend and enjoy.
Made with simple, whole food ingredients. It’s vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and can be made oil-free too!
Since it’s soup season, try these favorite soup recipes: Red Curry Cauliflower Soup, Asparagus Zucchini Soup, and/or White Bean, Kale and Cauliflower Soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin purée. To simplify things, I used canned pumpkin purée! If you prefer, you can bake your own fresh pumpkin chunks and add them before blending. But I find that this not only cuts down cooking time but also is a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin.
- Whole Red lentils. This fabulous ingredient bulks up the soup adds plant protein, and also blends like a dream. Lentils add a creamy texture without any dairy. Lentils are also full of gut-healthy fiber. Bonus: lentils are one of the most affordable, nutrient-rich foods, and I love ’em!
- Onion + garlic. These are flavour builders that start your soup on a savory note. They’re also great for the immune system, which could always use a little extra support in the chillier months.
- Vegetable broth. The liquid in the broth is veggie broth for maximum flavour, you can use your favourite broth or even use a homemade broth.
- Warming spices. I love the combination of cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Optional mix-ins and garnishes: lemon juice, a can of coconut milk, fresh ginger, and/or red pepper flakes.
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large pot or soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion with a splash of oil (or omit if oil-free) until soft and fragrant. Then add garlic and all spices (excluding salt and pepper) and sauté for another minute or so until aromatic.
- Next, add lentils and pumpkin purée and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until lentils are softened and expanded. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add any additional spices of choice.
- When ready, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky if you prefer. Alternatively, you can blend it in the pot using an immersion hand blender.
- Enjoy! To garnish, you can serve with toasted pumpkin seeds, an extra crack of black pepper, and a swirl of non-dairy cream or yogurt to finish.
Secrets to Success
- Instant Pot Method: You can prepare this soup in an Instant Pot for convenience! To do it, just sauté your veg in the pot, then pressure cook until the lentils are soft enough to blend. Blend with an immersion blender, or throw into your blender unit (just make to let the soup cool before blending if you don’t have a little hole in the lid for steam release).
- Ingredient Swaps: You can easily change up the spices in this soup. If you like a more Indian flavor profile, try curry powder. For a fresher flavor, add fall herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Turmeric and ginger are both healing and healthy. Feel free to add some extra heat from hot pepper flakes, too, if you like.
- Homemade Puree: You can make your own pumpkin puree or use roasted butternut squash puree. Roast your squash until it’s fork-tender, then transfer it to a blender until smooth and creamy.
Serving Suggestions
Unlike many soups, this pumpkin and red lentil soup is hearty enough to be a meal! It’s high in protein and vibrant in color (thanks to beta carotene in pumpkin!).
For toppings, I like to add something creamy and something crunchy. Try these favorite toppings to serve your creamy pumpkin soup:
- A swirl of non-dairy yogurt or cream
- An extra sprinkle of black pepper
- Creamy coconut milk
- Fresh herbs
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Gluten-free croutons
- Crunchy chickpeas
- Crispy Lotus Root Chips (oil-free, vegan, gluten-free)
Storage
Store leftover pumpkin lentil soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To freeze, store the cooked and cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Reheat it on the stove to serve.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you try this Pumpkin Lentil Soup, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small onion red or yellow, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry red lentils rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 inch knob of ginger
- other recommended spices if you prefer to customize
- Indian spices garam masala cardamom, coriander etc.
- Turmeric and extra ground black pepper for an immune system boost
- Thai curry paste
- Roasted chili peppers for extra heat
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, sauté onion with a splash of oil (or omit if oil-free) until soft and fragrant. Then add garlic, and all spices (excluding salt and pepper) and sauté for another minute or so, until aromatic.
- Next add lentils and pumpkin purée and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until lentils are softened and expand. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add any additional spices of choice.
- When ready, transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, or leave slightly chunky if you prefer. Alternatively you can blend using an immersion hand blender in the pot.
- Enjoy! To garnish, you can serve with toasted pumpkin seeds, an extra crack of black pepper and a swirl of non-dairy cream or yogurt to finish.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- Instant Pot Method: You can prepare this soup in an Instant Pot for convenience! To do it, just sauté your veg in the pot, then pressure cook until the lentils are soft enough to blend. Blend with an immersion blender, or throw into your blender unit (just make to let the soup cool before blending if you don’t have a little hole in the lid for steam release).
- Ingredient Swaps: You can easily change up the spices in this soup. If you like a more Indian flavor profile, try curry powder. For a fresher flavor, add fall herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Turmeric and ginger are both healing and healthy. Feel free to add some extra heat from hot pepper flakes, too, if you like.
- Homemade Puree: You can make your own pumpkin puree or use roasted butternut squash puree. Roast your squash until it’s fork-tender, then transfer it to a blender until smooth and creamy.
Serving Suggestions
Unlike many soups, this pumpkin and red lentil soup is hearty enough to be a meal! It’s high in protein and vibrant in color (thanks to beta carotene in pumpkin!). For toppings, I like to add something creamy and something crunchy. Try these favorite toppings to serve your creamy pumpkin soup:- A swirl of non-dairy yogurt or cream
- An extra sprinkle of black pepper
- Creamy coconut milk
- Fresh herbs
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Gluten-free croutons
- Crunchy chickpeas
- Crispy Lotus Root Chips (oil-free, vegan, gluten-free)
Storage
Store leftover pumpkin lentil soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To freeze, store the cooked and cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Reheat it on the stove to serve.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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