pumpkin. spice. cinnamon. warmth. a touch of honey. creamy coconut milk. This hearty soup is like fall in a bowl. Oftentimes fall recipes are heavy and fattening - but not this one. Lentils pack a big amount of vegetarian protein, iron, filling fiber, and other important vitamins into a little caloric package. This soup is comfort food at it's healthiest!
Both my girls and my husband loved this soup even more than I was expecting and were excited for leftovers the next day. I had all the ingredients in my pantry and used canned pumpkin puree for the sake of convenience. Next time I think I will roast a sugar pumpkin or other squash and leave the roasted flesh in chunks.
Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup
printer-friendly recipe
Serves 6
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small apple, chopped
48 ounces vegetable broth
2 (15 ounce) cans pure pumpkin
2 teaspoons mild curry powder (can add more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils (green lentils are okay too if that's what you have on hand!)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey (or agave or maple syrup)
fresh cilantro or sliced green onions for garnish
1 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish
plain Greek yogurt such as Chobani, for garnish (optional and will not be vegan)
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the apple, and continue to saute until both the apple and onion are tender. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk in pumpkin, curry, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in lentils, coconut milk, and honey. Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes until thickened. Adjust spices to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and/or pepitas and fresh herbs.
Recently I've been getting questions about nutritional content from those of you who are counting calories, so I created nutrition facts for this recipe on Spark Recipes. Is this something you would like to see for future recipes?
Five More Fabulous Fall Soup Recipes
Creamy Pumpkin Soup from Cooking Light
Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Walnuts from GoodLife Eats
Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup from 101 Cookbooks
Baked Potato Soup with Bacon, Onion, and Cheddar from The Kitchn
Curried Carrot and Apple Soup from Farmgirl Gourmet
This is fabulous, I love the spicy flavors with the pumpkin!
ReplyDeleteAnything curry and pumpkin is pure comfort, what a scrumptious soup! Love the idea of you including the nutritionals :).
ReplyDeleteHi Marina! could I use unsweetened almond milk here? This recipe looks great and awesome for freezing leftovers :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Hmmmm... I'm just not sure on this one. You could certainly try it! I 'think' almond milk could add some creamyness, but it won't be as creamy. It will still be delicious though, I'm sure!
DeleteIf you want creamy add a large tablespoon(not a measuring spoon) of sesame tahini along with your almond milk.
DeleteLooks wonderful! Temperatures around here are finally cool enough to beckon soup-making...can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first day I have pants and long sleeves on instead of shorts and a tank! It's so exciting :) Although it is only 9:30 am and will probably be hot by the afternoon. Sigh.
DeleteThis looks so rich and spicy---I love the idea of combining lentils with pumpkin. And I love the new site design--- I must have been asleep when it changed, I just noticed it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds perfect! I love making a big pot of soup on Sunday's and eating it all week long.
ReplyDeleteSounds super delicious! And it's been so cold here a nice warm soup would be a perfect supper to warm us all up! Thanks for another great recipe. XOXO
ReplyDeleteHeaaaaaaaaaven might need to help me.
ReplyDeletelentils and pumpkin sound incredible - they're two of my favorite ingredients!
ReplyDeleteque ricooo, me encanta la calabaza y las lentejas!
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing and absolutely perfect for fall! So excited for the onset of comfort food :) Love it!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think the soup is gorgeous. :) I love the flavors going on in there, and the toppings look like they bring just the right amount of textural contrast (both crunchy and smooth!) for that perfect bowl of soup!
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds so yummy! I made a vegetarian chili last week and a vegetable stew with dumplings this week, so I'll have to try this one next :)
ReplyDeleteI see you gave your blog a little makeover...it looks so nice!
i love seeing nutrition facts! please continue to provide if possible :)
ReplyDeleteHi Marina, Lentils and curry is delicious combination, and pumpkin definitely adds an unique Autumn flavor... Fantastic! :)
ReplyDeleteDo you not have to soak the lentils first? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi there! No soaking necessary :) Lentils cook relatively quickly.
DeleteMine did not cook quickly at all! After 40 minutes they were not even close to soft. I cooked the soup 1 1/2 hours and still wasn't happy with the texture of the lentils. This is the first time that I've cooked with lentils so maybe I don't have the right expectation of their finished texture!
DeleteHi Joy, very strange! Lentils should be done after simmering 20-30 minutes. They should be just tender and no longer crunchy.
DeleteHere's some great info on cooking lentils: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-dried-lentils-116321
Marina, this recipe is absolutely wonderful - I made it tonight, and could barely keep myself from licking the bowl clean! Delicious!
ReplyDeleteit looks so comforting and delicious
ReplyDeleteIt's that beautiful time of the year...pumpkin time! Gorgeous, delicious, heart-warming are some of the words that come to mind when I saw your soup! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI realize it says it serves 6, but what is the amount in each serving. It's hard to figure it out without dividing it up evenly into 6 bowls...it's just my husband and me eating it. A cup? Cup and a half?
ReplyDeletei figured it out on my own! lol
ReplyDeletei wanted to come back and post how the soup turned out. it was a huge hit. what shocked me is that my extremely picky 6 year old loved it. thanks so much for the recipe!
Oh good! So sorry I wasn't able to get back to you sooner!
DeleteA post after my own heart....soup for the soul.
ReplyDeleteis there a substitute for coconut milk?
ReplyDeleteAre you vegan? If not, use half and half or regular milk. If you are, and don't like coconut milk, you could unsweetened soy milk. Enjoy!
DeleteHi Marina! For this recipe, did you use coconut milk from a can or carton? I ask because there is usually a difference in the level of creaminess. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie, that is a great question and you're right there is a big difference. I used the super creamy canned kind :)
DeleteThanks again. Looking forward to trying this out!
DeleteI am looking forward to trying this soup. Am I the only one who is curious where you got that blue and white gingham spoon? Its so cute!
ReplyDeleteHi there, it's from Anthropologie! :)
DeleteSilly question here....my supermarket only has brown or yellow lentils. Would one or either be okay as a substitute for red lentils?
ReplyDeleteHi Shelley! Not a silly question at all! Yes, either should work, the cook time might vary, but just go with it :)
DeleteThank you so much, Marina. I look forward to giving this a try. Sounds scrumptious.
DeleteHi I picked up the wrong broth :-/, would chicken broth work?
ReplyDeleteTotally fine :)
DeleteAlso I have regular cocunut milk...it states 2g sugar per serving? Will that work...I know the recipe calls for unsweetened.
ReplyDeleteI can't say for sure since I haven't tried it. I would add a little and try it to make sure it's not too sweet. Omit the honey called for in the recipe. Hope that works out :)
Deletehmmm, sounds delicious and i love the idea of offering the nutritional facts! is this something you will introduce for all of your recipes?
ReplyDeletethis recipe is fantastic! so far i've made it twice, and i even added more apples because my husband loved the taste and texture. i'll be bringing it as an appetizer to my family's thanksgiving dinner! thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julia! I love hearing that. Adding apples is a great idea - I always add them to my butternut squash soup and it adds really delicious flavor :)
DeleteThis looks fabulous! To the person whose lentils took too long to cook, I had that happen to me recently after a lifetime of no problems with them, and I suspect they were too old, so were tough. I threw mine out because they never did soften up right. I won't buy them from that particular store again.
ReplyDeleteThanks! And thank you for sharing that great tip!
DeleteHey there, I'm just finishing up cooking this. I just sampled a bit and it's FANTASTIC!!! Thanks for posting! Delicious!
ReplyDeleteMarina, I've made this 4 times over the last month & shared the recipe with countless friends. Total go-to soup! Love the flavors and how easy it is to double or half! Great recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi Marina, I've been meaning to make this soup for ages and today I finally did! It's delicious! You can't get canned pumpkin where I live (Amsterdam) but I roasted a butternut squash and it turned out great. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi, can this recipe be made in a slow cooker? I'd love to toss the ingredients in the slow cooker bowl and put in the fridge the night before, and have my husband pull it out the next day and cook it while I am at work. SInce he works from home, it would be easy to do for him if I get it all prepped the night before.
ReplyDeleteHi! That's a great idea! I haven't tried it but it should be fine! Let me know how it turns out :)
DeleteAlso, I have a Mango Curry Dip seasoning...would that work instead of regular curry?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epicureselections.com/en/products/food/new-seasonal-favourites-food/1068/mango-curry-dip/
That sounds delicious. I can't know for sure since I haven' tried it. If it is similar to regular curry powder it should be okay. You may need to adjust the amount you use according to your taste.
DeleteI'm not sure if my first comment posted or not. but I was wondering if this could be made in the slow cooker. It would be great if I could prep it at night and have my husband finish it the next day while I am work. Thanks.
ReplyDeletesorry about that -- comments are moderated as I get loads of spam every day.
Deleteyes, use the slow cooker :)