Name: Curried Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 kabocha squash or squash of choice (you’ll need 15 oz or 425 g of flesh); Olive oil and kosher salt for roasting; 3-4 tbsp (45 g) olive oil or avocado oil; 3 medium shallots, finely chopped (80 g chopped); 5 garlic cloves, finely grated (18 g minced); 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated (15 g grated); 2 stalks lemongrass, outer papery layers removed, then minced (5 g minced); 2 tbsp (40 g) Thai red curry paste; 1 tbsp (10 g) coconut sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed; 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon; 1 cup (175 g) red lentils, rinsed (preferably soaked); 3 cups (265 g) water; 1 can (13.5 oz or 400 g) full-fat coconut milk; 2 tbsp butter or vegan butter (optional, adds a nice fatty flavor); 1/4 cup roughly chopped Thai basil; 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro; 1-2 tbsp lime juice, plus more as needed

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Soup season is here, so I’m embracing all things cozy and comforting, like this curried pumpkin red lentil soup!

And while it’s no secret that I love soup, this particular soup has my heart. The base is a blend of roasted squash, red lentils, red curry paste, and sweet coconut milk, along with tons of aromatics like shallots, lemongrass, and ginger (and of course tons of garlic), plus some Thai basil and lime for a hint of zest and brightness. It’s the perfect blend of spice, sweetness, and tang!

And the best part about this soup: it’s a balanced meal. The roasted squash, fatty coconut milk, and lentils make this soup so hearty and nutritious!

two bowls of pumpkin red lentil soup next to a plate of lime wedges

Ingredients For This Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup

Everything you’ll need for this pumpkin red lentil soup, plus a few ingredient notes!

Pumpkin or squash of choice: Full transparency, I actually prefer squash over pumpkin for this recipe, but pumpkin red lentil soup has more of a ring to it than squash red lentil soup. Anywho, pumpkin or kabocha squash both work well here!
Red lentils: I highly recommend soaking the lentils the night before, for two reasons. First, soaking the lentils helps reduce the phytic acid content in the lentils (less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for iron and zinc). And secondly, soaked lentils cook faster, which means less time spent in the kitchen!
Thai red curry paste: I highly recommend Mekhala Thai green curry paste – most grocery stores carry it, including Whole Foods and Sprouts.
Coconut milk: Make sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk.
Shallots
Fresh ginger
Fresh garlic
Lemongrass
Avocado oil or olive oil
Seasonings and spices: Including Ceylon cinnamon, coconut sugar, and kosher salt.
Limes
Thai basil
Cilantro

Method Behind This Soup

I firmly believe that the key to a good soup (and pretty much all food) is layering flavors, and this vegan pumpkin red lentil soup is a great example of that done right!

Start off by prepping the squash – drizzle the cut squash with some olive oil and kosher salt, rub it in, and roast in the oven until soft.

While the squash roasts, fry off the aromatics. I always saute the shallots, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass first (they take the longest to cook). Once the shallots are translucent and the garlic has some color (it should be golden), add the curry paste, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Fry this off for 1-2 minutes to bloom the spices and paste (most curry paste is just blended raw aromatics, so frying it for a few minutes helps bloom the aromatics and bring out all their flavor and heat). Lastly, add in the lentils and water and bring to a soft boil.

Once the lentils are cooked, spoon half the soup into a blender, along with the cooked squash and coconut milk, and blend until smooth. Then pour back into the soup, along with a knob of butter, and heat until gently boiling. Two things here, feel free to play around with how much of the soup base you want to blend – blending less of the soup will yield a thicker chunkier soup (almost stew-like in texture) while blending more of the soup will yield a creamier silkier soup. Secondly, let the soup reheat on low for about 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Finish off the soup with some roughly chopped Thai basil, cilantro, and a generous squeeze of lime for a hint of brightness and zest!

Few Recipe Notes

Three words, mise en place. This soup does have a few moving parts to it, so prepping all the ingredients first will make the cooking process super smooth and easy. Once I get the squash roasting, I like to dice up all the aromatics (shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass), place them in a bowl, and then measure the curry paste, spices, and lentils. Again, having everything on hand makes the frying process seamless (and you don’t forget anything).
You can serve this soup however you like, but I love spooning this soup over some sticky white rice. Again, since this soup is a curry soup hybrid, it tastes great over rice, paired with toasty sourdough, or just on its own!

And that’s all for this curried pumpkin red lentil soup – I can’t wait for you to make it. Don’t forget to leave a review and rating below, always appreciate your feedback! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram.