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

Description

This curried pumpkin red lentil soup is a myriad of flavors, it’s the perfect blend of spice, sweetness, and tang. Serve it over sticky white rice or pair it with toasted sourdough bread.

Ingredients

Scale

Squash/Pumpkin

1 kabocha squash or squash of choice (you’ll need 15 oz or 425 g of flesh)
Olive oil and kosher salt for roasting

Aromatics & Lentils

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

Other Ingredients

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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Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the squash into wedges, place on the prepared pan, and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Rub the oil and salt into the squash, and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until super soft.
Make the base of the soup. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil or avocado oil until shimmering. Add in the shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and fry (stirring occasionally)until the shallots are translucent and the garlic has some color (it should be slightly golden). Next, add the curry paste, coconut sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir and fry off the curry paste and spice for 1-2 minutes. Quick note, most curry paste is just raw blended aromatics, so frying the paste is essential to bloom the aromatics and bring out the flavor and heat. Lastly, dump in the lentils and water and stir to mix.
Cook the lentils until soft. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially with a lid, and let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are soft, then remove from the heat.
Blend the soup together. Spoon half the soup (~500 g) into a high-speed blender, along with the coconut milk and 15 oz (425 g) of the squash flesh. Blend together until silky smooth, then pour back into the pot with the butter. Stir together until well combined.
Heat, garnish, and serve. Heat the soup on low for 10-15 minutes until piping hot. Stir in the Thai basil, cilantro, and lime juice, and adjust salt as needed. Serve over sticky white rice or with toasted sourdough bread.