Hooray for easy soups! This Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup is the type of recipe that saves the day—very few ingredients, fast, and really delicious. Oh yeah, and did I mention how incredibly inexpensive it is?? Seriously, just pennies per bowl. It’s also freezer-friendly, super healthy, just happens to be vegan-friendly, and you can have fun customizing the toppings. It basically checks all my boxes! Bookmark this recipe for later because I promise it will become part of your regular rotation.
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Have Fun with the Toppings
I just LOVE any meal where I can add toppings and this soup is the perfect blank slate. Not that it’s not awesome on its own, it’s just that the flavors in this lentil and pumpkin soup are versatile and can handle being paired with all sorts of add-ins. So here are some ideas: go creamy with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream (as I do in my classic pumpkin soup recipe), spice it up with a few red pepper flakes or sriracha, toss in some crunchy pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or croutons, or sprinkle on a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. Or hey, DO THEM ALL. I won’t judge.
Can I Substitute the Pumpkin?
If you don’t have canned pumpkin, you can use about a cup and a half of mashed sweet potato or butternut squash in its place. Just make sure they’re really soft and well-mashed so there is no stringiness in the final soup. Oh, and speaking of that, you can take an immersion blender to the finished soup for a super silky finish if you’d like. Me? I prefer to have a little texture from the lentils.
Can I Use Brown or Green Lentils for Pumpkin Soup?
While you can use a different type of lentil, it will definitely change the outcome of the soup. Red or yellow lentils are best for this soup because of their mild flavor and the fact that they break down quickly when cooked, giving the soup a nice thick consistency (like split pea soup). A brown or green lentil will give the soup a much earthier flavor and have a chunkier texture.
What Kind of Curry Powder Do You Use?
I’m not very picky about curry powder and haven’t come across one yet that I don’t like. I do prefer to use mild curry powder for this soup, that way I can adjust the heat by adding my own cayenne pepper if I want. One brand that I’ve enjoyed is Sharwood’s mild curry powder. Or you can try making your own curry powder using this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Servings 6 1.33 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.31)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder ($0.30)
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin purée ($1.05)
- 1 cup dry red lentils ($0.67)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.78)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the curry powder and continue to sauté for about a minute more.
- Next, add the pumpkin purée, lentils, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and bring the soup up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Finally, taste the soup and add salt to taste (about ½ tsp). Serve hot with bread for dipping!
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Equipment
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Love savory pumpkin recipes? You should also try our Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup, Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta, or Easy Pumpkin Soup.
How to Make Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion, mince two cloves of garlic, and grate about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger (I use a small-holed cheese grater). Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add one tablespoon curry powder to the sautéed vegetables and continue to sauté for one minute more.
Next add 1 cup uncooked red lentils, 1 15oz. can of pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling), and 6 cups vegetable broth. Stir to combine the ingredients.
Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the soup up to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes the lentils should be broken down and tender, resulting in a thickened soup.
Give the soup a taste and then add salt. Salt is what is really going to make the flavors pot, so don’t skip it! The amount of salt you’ll need will ultimately depend on the salt content of the broth you used, but I added about a ½ teaspoon of salt.
Delicious! Subbed coconut milk for 2 cups of the broth and added at the end. Wonderful with naan!
Would split red lentils work for this?
Yes. :)
Super delicious! I added a can of chickpeas to boost the protein content. Definately going in my rotation.
Sooo good, so comforting. This was a hit at the office. All ages went for seconds. I roasted a butternut squash the night before while making dinner, and subbed it for the pumpkin Added all the ingredients together, included a little cinnamon and a squeeze of lime (because I had a bagful). Threw it in the crockpot. I was a lunchtime hero!
I made this tonight. It was delicious. My husband wanted no part of it thinking it would be sweet. I pressured him into a least trying it.
Surprise! He did like it! The only thing I will do next time is use more curry powder and put in a touch of cumin.
Warily, I made this. Was worried it might taste sweet. As with every Budget Bytes recipe I have tried, it was easy and delicious. My husband loved it. Not a fan of ginger, so I left it out. Like that it is vegan.
Pumpkin & Red Lentil soup: made it tonight and love it. Was bummed that I had no sour cream! Amazing. I knew it would be good but it’s one of those that keep you warm inside so it will be great when the snow flies. Sticks to your ribs AND ITS HEALTHY!!
I made this last night. The rest of the family are NOT pumpkin fans but everyone liked it and it was all gone with no leftovers, like I expected. One child even put it over rice instead of eating it as soup. Solid win for pumpkins.
Absolutely delicious! Quick. Easy, and super flavourful.
I swapped butternut squash for the pumpkin.
SO EASY AND DELICOUS!! Added a bit more lentils for a thicker soup and topped with a dollop of greek yogurt and cilantro. Will definitely be making this more during the fall for quick and easy work from home lunches or dinner
This soup is so good. My husband declared it a “keeper.” Easy to make and perfect for chilly evenings.
I like that it’s quick and filling but couldn’t really taste the pumpkin. It needs something else, I think – roasted squash instead of pumpkin puree maybe? It smelled wonderful while it was cooking but I was pretty underwhelmed with the final flavor
This is one of my favorite soups ever! I have loved it for years from when you originally posted it! I have also used the soup base without lentils as a vegetarian curry by adding green beans and serving with rice. Its so delicious you can drink it!
Delicious! I added double the curry powder and added ~1/4tsp cayenne powder for some heat. Delicious topped with fresh cilantro. Yum!
Excellent. I may add more lentils next time to make it thicker. Had to cook the lentils longer due to high altitude. Added fresh black pepper at the end.
This is one of my favorite soups! Creamy and savory and comes together quickly. We are plant based and love your recipes; simple ingredients and delicious food!