Soup season is in full swing and we’ve been making this Curried Pumpkin & Lentil Soup more often than we can count. Not only is this soup luscious beyond belief, but it also packs a punch of flavour without needing hours bubbling away at the stove. Roasted veggies, caramelized pumpkin, protein-rich red lentils, a hint of spice, creamy coconut milk...all whizzed up into the silkiest of soups. Trust us: it’s hard to get cozier than this.
This soup has quickly become one of our go-to weeknight dinners. It requires minimal active cooking time, thanks to the fact that you roast almost everything in the oven - and whiz it in the blender until silky smooth. We shared this “soup hack” years ago (here), and to this day it’s our go-to method for soups on a weeknight. It’s amazing how much flavor you can develop in just the oven alone.
Earlier versions of this recipe involved a lot of time peeling and chopping fresh pumpkin. But then we learned two new things. First: Grocery stores in Vancouver (Canada) stop stocking pumpkins the day after Halloween. And second: When you bake canned pumpkin puree in the oven, it develops a roasted flavor that tastes a million times better than it does straight from the can! Not going to lie...when we discovered this, we legitimately jumped up and down. The things we get excited about, haha. But just like that, we were sold.
This recipe starts by loading up a baking sheet with the classics: onions, carrots, and celery. It’s like a mirepoix, but without the fuss. Rather than sautéing them over the stove, we’re going to let the oven work its magic. Fresh ginger goes into the oven as well. And just like everything else in this recipe...no, you don’t need to peel it! While the veggies roast, you’ll set a small pot on the stove to quickly cook some red lentils in a fragrant broth of garlic, vegetable stock, curry and cumin. Then at the end, swirl in a can of coconut milk and toss everything in the blender until it's totally smooth.
You can dig into the soup just like that, or you can go as crazy with toppings as you’d like. Think: pepitas, fresh herbs, yogurt, spices. We’ve listed our favorites below. But feel free to get creative...this is an easy way to use up the extra bits kicking around in your fridge and pantry.
Extra soup keep well in the fridge or freezer. We like to tuck away extra servings in the freezer, and defrost them ahead of busy weeks. Or fill a mason jar with soup and keep it in your office fridge for easy lunches during the week. You can thin the soup with extra vegetable stock (or water) until it reaches your desired consistency.
Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 inch knob of ginger (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 cup dry red lentils (rinsed and picked over)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (use large cloves)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (more to thin, if needed)
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder (more for garnish, optional)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 (15 oz/14 fl oz/398 ml) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (14 fl oz/398 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
Garnish ideas (optional)
- Fresh herbs (scallions/green onions or cilantro)
- Toasted pepitas
- Yogurt or sour cream (vegan if needed)
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Bake vegetables: Add onion, carrots, celery, and ginger to a large nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with grapeseed oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Bake until the edges are beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook lentils: Add red lentils, garlic, broth, curry powder, and cumin to a medium saucepan. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Remove from heat.
- Add pumpkin, bake again: Use a spatula to push the roasted vegetables to one side of the pan. Spread the pumpkin puree onto the other side of the pan. Return to the oven, and bake until the edges of the puree begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Blend: Scrape the vegetables and pumpkin puree into a blender. Add the lentil coconut mixture. Blend until smooth and creamy. (Thin with extra vegetable stock if desired). Serve hot, topped with garnishes of your choice.
Notes
- Blending soups: Use caution when blending warm liquids. You may wish to drape a tea towel over the lid of the blender as an extra precaution, and blend in batches if needed. If your blender cannot handle warm liquids, allow the lentil mixture to cool fully then blend as usual. Soup can be reheated on the stove top, and thinned with vegetable stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
Izzy says
Pretty good but I added some extra carrots and lots more curry powder to enhance the flavor
bri says
Glad you enjoyed this soup Izzy! Yes, since curry powders vary by blend/brand, definitely taste and add more if you're using one that's on the milder side! Thanks for sharing:)
Christin says
Just made this for dinner & it was delicious. Thank you Bri! Xoxo.
bri says
So happy to hear that Christin! Thanks for taking the time to write in! Have a great week ahead!
Vaish says
I tried this last night and OMGGGGG it turned out so delicious! Thank you for this super easy recipe.
bri says
Hi Vaish! Yay, we're so happy to hear you enjoyed this pumpkin lentil soup! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. Hope you have a great weekend ahead!
Kathy The FUN Baker says
This soup sounds AMAZING! I can't wait to try it--which will hopefully be Soon! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes with us!! <3
bri says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for visiting Kathy! Hope you have a great rest of your week:)
Anastasiia says
Thank you for this recipe! I made it last night and had a bowl for lunch today - ginger makes it perfect! Will be cooking it all fall 🍂🍁
Evelyn says
Delish! Great flavour. 2 thumbs up!
Grace says
Great Recipe! Lots of flavour and very quick and easy to make
Elizabeth says
This has been a go-to soup this winter. It is FULL of flavor and very filling. We love it!
Katy says
Wondering what to do with the ginger? After it Cooks in oven do you peel and then blend it up with everything?
Bri says
Hi Katy! The ginger goes onto the baking tray to be roasted (skin on is fine). When the roasted veggies get put into the blender - the ginger goes in with everything else. There's no need to peel the ginger, but of course if you really want to, you can! But you won't be able to tell either way once it's blended:) Hope you enjoy the recipe! If you give it a go, let us know.
Lynn says
This looks super yummy!
Bri says
Thanks Lynn! So glad you think so!