Have you been looking for a cozy, hug-in-a-bowl recipe during the chillier months? This incredible curried pumpkin lentil soup recipe has everything you could want in a soup. It’s hearty, filled with warm flavors, and delicious with your favorite crackers or a side of garlic naan (yum).
Soup season is probably my favorite time of year and this is truly the perfect recipe to kick it off! You’ll love how easy it is to make with a few pantry staples and spices. Plus, it’s filled with wonderful pumpkin flavor and I know you’re all pumpkin-obsessed like I am.
Make a big batch and freeze some for later, or serve it up and watch the kiddos fall in love, too! Lunch & dinner is served.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes?
Enter your email to get one of our BEST high-protein soup recipes straight to your inbox each day for 10 days. Totally FREE!
Ingredients in vegan pumpkin lentil soup
This nourishing vegan curried pumpkin lentil soup is full of nutrients and cozy flavors that you’ll love all season long. Plus, it packs some veggies and is easy to make! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Veggies: we’re adding onion and carrot for a veggie and texture boost in this lentil soup. You’ll need a bit of olive oil to cook them down.
- Herbs & spices: gotta have savory garlic, plus some freshly grated ginger, yellow curry powder and a kick of heat from cayenne pepper (if you’d like). Round out all of the flavors with salt and pepper to taste!
- For the broth: keep the soup vegan & vegetarian with vegetarian broth or water. You’ll also add light coconut milk for subtle sweetness. So good! The broth will help thin the soup and cook the lentils.
- Lentils: you can use green or brown lentils in this recipe. Just be sure to sort and rinse them.
- Pumpkin puree: gotta have that pumpkin flavor in the pumpkin lentil soup! Feel free to use canned pumpkin puree or make your own with this tutorial.
- To garnish: I like to top my bowl with extra fresh diced cilantro, greek yogurt, salsa (it’s so good!), pita or naan bread for dipping.
Customize your soup
Looking for an ingredient swap or addition in this pumpkin lentil soup? Here’s what I can recommend:
- Swap the pumpkin. I think pureed sweet potato would also be delicious as the base in this recipe.
- Up the protein. While the soup already has almost 10g of protein per serving thanks to the lentils, this soup would also be delicious with cooked, ground turkey or chicken.
- Add a kick of heat. If you like spice, feel free to bump up the cayenne pepper! Cool it off with extra coconut milk on top or even greek yogurt.
How to make pumpkin lentil curry soup
- Cook down the veggies. Start by adding olive oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add spices. Bring the heat to medium low and add in ginger, curry powder and cayenne. Stir together for 30 seconds.
- Pull it all together. Next stir in water or broth, coconut milk, lentils and pumpkin puree. If you’d like, you can reserve 2 tablespoons of coconut milk for drizzling on top once the soup is done. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook & simmer. Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium low for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. The soup should thicken up, but if it gets too thick for your liking, then feel free to add an extra ½ cup-1 cup water or broth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish and serve. Serve soup immediately and drizzle in a circle with leftover coconut milk. Garnish with cilantro, yogurt and salsa if you’d like. I love to serve mine with naan or pita bread for dipping.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store this creamy pumpkin lentil soup recipe in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop!
- To freeze: let the soup completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Our fav sides to serve this pumpkin lentil soup
What’s a soup without delicious sides? Here are some of our favorite ones to serve with the soup:
- Naan or garlic naan (SO GOOD)
- The Best Fluffy Moist Cornbread Recipe Ever
- Brussels Sprouts Kale Honeycrisp Apple Salad with Maple Cider Dressing
- The Best Garlic Bread You’ll Ever Eat
- Pat’s 4-Ingredient Paleo Crackers
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
More pumpkin recipes to try
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chicken Soup
- Vegetarian Spinach Pumpkin Lasagna
- Nourishing Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Brown Rice
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Quinoa Pumpkin Chicken Chili
- Mini Paleo Pumpkin Pies with Gingerbread Cookie Crust
Get all of our delicious pumpkin recipes here!
I hope you love this delicious vegan curried pumpkin lentil soup recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon mild yellow curry powder
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne (only if you like a little heat)
- 3 cups water or vegetarian broth
- 1 cup green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (reserve 2 tablespoons for drizzling on top of soup)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To garnish:
- Extra fresh diced cilantro
- Greek yogurt
- Salsa (it’s so good!)
- Pita or naan bread for dipping
Instructions
- Add olive oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in onion, carrot and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Bring heat to medium low and add in ginger, curry powder and cayenne, stir together for 30 seconds.
- Next stir in water/broth, coconut milk, lentils and pumpkin puree. If you’d like, you can reserve 2 tablespoons of coconut milk for drizzling on top once the soup is done. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium low for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. The soup should thicken up. (If it gets too thick for your liking, then feel free to add an extra ½ cup-1 cup water or broth.) Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve soup immediately and drizzle in a circle with leftover coconut milk. Garnish with cilantro, yogurt and salsa if you’d like. I love to serve mine with naan or pita bread for dipping. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 8, 2020, republished on September 20, 2021, and republished on October 16th, 2024.
yummy! i always add plenty of other spices when i make it though.
I’m glad you like it!
perfect
LOVE this soup! It’s so filling, and it really just screams fall and comfort to me.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
I made it as written and honestly it’s pretty bland. We weren’t impressed. I would absolutely double the curry powder or add additional spices.
Sorry to hear that! I do recommend salt to taste in most soups, which will help bring the flavors out even more.
I made this soup last night, and it was delicious! My husband said it was “fine restaurant quality.” I did not have vegetable broth (and we are not vegan) so turned my water into a chicken broth (used Better than Bullion). I used a brown instead of white onion and organic regular (not light) coconut milk since that is what I had on hand. I already forwarded the recipe to my adult kids for use on one of their meatless nights. Thank you, Ambitious Kitchen, for the recipe!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
Monique does it again with another FANTASTIC meal!! I love how affordable and yummy this is, as a college student this helps a ton! I made this about 3 times in the last 2 weeks, i do add chicken bone broth for extra protein and dip it in some naan, yum!! ☺️🩷
So happy you loved this one!!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is easy and delicious and makes a big enough batch for me to freeze some for leftovers. I feel so healthy and satisfied after eating a bowl of this curry. The only ingredient swap I use is celery for carrot because that is usually what I have on hand. I have added both salsa and Greek yogurt as a topping and both are delicious!!
Perfect! So glad you love it!
Yum! I didn’t have coconut milk but instead coconut cream and that worked fine. I also added a little fresh kabocha and that was a nice addition. Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I am always skeptical of making soups at home because they never turn out that good and have less flavor. But this soup is SO good. I did add the cayenne pepper and even without it the flavor would have been so great. This will for sure be a staple soup for me.
Amazing! So glad you tried this one!
I have a few questions just because I don’t want to mess up lol.
1. Can this recipe be in a slow cooker like your “healing curry butternut squash recipe” ?
2. Can I use ginger paste or ginger powder instead of fresh ginger
Yes to both! I would just halve the amount of ginger paste or powder.
SO delicious, SO nourishing, SO easy to make. Adding this into my regular soup rotation!
Absolutely!! Glad you loved it!
How would this be with some chicken thighs? Chicken broth instead of vegetable broth? Would it be a good pairing?
That sounds great!
Adapted this for a slow cooker today. Added a little less water and leaned more into making it a curry. Ate it over buttery millet. Such perfection. Definitely in my regular rotation now.
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
Absolutely delicious! And I don’t like pumpkin. I have made both the vegetarian version and a meaty version with turkey. When I make the vegetarian version, I add a handful of chopped walnuts to the soup.
Amazing! So glad you love both versions!
I loved the recipe. Served it to friends at a potluck dinner last night and it was a crowd favorite. I did, however, make a few minor alterations to the recipe. Instead of brown lentils, I used yellow, which is more common where I come from (Egypt) as a soup. I also thought the spices were a bit too punchy, so I mellowed it down a little bit with some cooking cream.
The result was everything from surprising to soothing and I could see everyone trying to deconstruct the fiesta of flavors with every sip. I’m certainly saving this recipe for later.
Thank you!
Perfect! So glad everyone loved it!
I followed the recipe as written and it is absolutely delicious. I make it often. It is so filling and it warms your soul 🙂
Monique does it again! This recipe was super affordable and delicious af. I thought it was going to be creamier, but I think it will taste better as leftovers. Thanks for making vegan accessible!
So glad you loved it! And yes, it will continue to thicken up.
This soup is absolutely AMAZING! It’s my go-to for fall and is so quick and easy to make. I love it with salsa on top – thank you for sharing!
YUM! Glad you gave this soup a try and are loving it 🙂
Hello! Excited to try this. How would you adjust this for a can of lentils vs dry? Thank you!
I haven’t tried subbing canned lentils in the soup, so I am not sure how it would turn out. I think 9.5oz can should be enough.
This is delicious and easy for mediocre cooks like me! I’m trying to meal planner better and thought it’d try this out. My only complaint is that I wish I would have doubled the recipe cause I don’t think this is going to last me through the week because it’s so yummy.
SO GOOD! Glad you found this recipe and it turned out great for you, Caroline!
5 stars! My son says “really good”
Yay! Happy this recipe is a hit 🙂
Loved it, Super easy to make and it reheats well. I used red lentils but added them only 15 minutes before the end so they didn’t overcook. I’ll do that recipe again anytime I have pumpkin puree.
Amazing! So glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great of you!
Tasty recipe and easy to make or modify. I gave it the full cayenne kick and am glad I did. Perfect for a blustery winter day. However, I’m currently counting calories, and when I submitted this recipe as is to MyFitnessPal, it translated with a calorie count fully DOUBLE what’s indicated here — 525 calories per serving vs. 248 listed. Not sure what’s what, but something to be aware of.
Thanks so much, Suzan. I will check this out! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This was so easy to make, and tasty. Unfortunately I discovered at the last minute I only had red lentils, so I subbed those for brown/green. Cooked much more quickly but tastes great.
I’m glad it still worked out well! Just have to watch the cooking time 🙂 Perfect cozy recipe for this season.
Nice, filling soup…it thickens up nicely and can, of course, be thinned to desired consistency; I added 1 cup of diced kale which worked well…and it could have easily handled more kale.
Yum! Sounds amazing. So glad you you are loving this recipe 🙂
Great soup! Second time I’ve made this for my family. I had some grated carrot and red onion in the fridge and used those in the soup…the carrots stayed a bit crunchy and the onions added a little extra color to the soup. If we had a larger freezer, I’d double the recipe and store extra for an evening when there was less time for cooking; though the time posted for preparing and cooking is perfect!
How many cups in one serving?
This is a good recipe, and easy to make, although it took around 45 minutes of cooking for the lentils to soften–not 30 minutes. I think it might be better to cook the lentils in the broth and pumpkin first and then add the coconut milk later in the cooking.
Hi! Thanks for sharing! I’m wondering if it was the type/brand of lentils you used — mind sharing?
Another family favorite. The spice of the curry and ginger combined with the savory pumpkin and creamy coconut milk is perfection. Really heats you up on a chilly fall day. Plus lentils are always a good idea.
I have made this dish for dinner several times & it never disappoints! I use canned brown lentils & it turns out phenomenal each time. Plus, I love how it is so easy to make & the flavor combination is out of this world amazing. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Made this tonight and it’s super tasty! So filling and nourishing. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow as I’m sure it will be even better. Thanks for yet another great recipe!
Holy moly this soup was delicious. I used red lentils and Garam masala curry powder because it’s what I had on hand. Everything else was by the recipe. I will make a double batch and freeze some next time, So flavorful, nourishing and filling. Thank you!
This was delicious. I was out of carrots so didn’t add one in. Also, I used red lentils instead of green or brown, and it was still great. My friend came over for dinner and she loved it too. I served it with Naan and a green salad.
Nice!! Sounds like a great meal 🙂