Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Soup Recipe
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!
Servings: 3 -4 servings
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)