Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Ten minutes of prep, then 35 on the stove: pumpkin, lentils, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika, finished with lemon juice.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 2 tbsp
- 3 cloves
- 1 ½ tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 800 g
- 180 g
- 1 l
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 1 tbsp
- 2 tbsp
Process
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned.
Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander and smoked paprika if using. Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, then immediately add a splash of the vegetable broth to stop the spices from scorching.
Add the cubed pumpkin, rinsed red lentils, remaining vegetable broth, salt and black pepper. Stir, raise the heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pumpkin is completely tender and the lentils have collapsed. Stir once or twice so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Take the pot off the heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth, or cool it for 5 minutes and blend in batches in a standing blender, filling it no more than halfway each time.
Stir in the fresh lemon juice and taste. Adjust the salt and pepper, and thin with a little extra vegetable broth if the soup is thicker than you like. Serve hot, scattered with toasted pumpkin seeds if using.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is undercooking the lentils: they must be fully collapsed before blending, otherwise the soup stays gritty. Simmer until a lentil mashes instantly against the side of the pot with a spoon.
- If you blend hot soup in a standing blender, never fill the jug more than halfway and vent the lid with a folded towel over it, or the steam will blow the lid off.
- The lemon juice is not optional in practice: it lifts the sweetness of the pumpkin and makes the whole pot taste brighter. Add it after blending, never before, so the flavour stays fresh.
- If the soup tightens up after standing, it is because the lentils keep absorbing liquid. Loosen it with hot broth or water a few tablespoons at a time rather than dumping in a large amount.
Substitutions
- pumpkin→butternut squash or kabocha, peeled and cubed the same way
- red lentils→yellow split lentils, but simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer until fully soft
- vegetable broth→chicken broth if you do not need the soup to be vegetarian
- smoked paprika→a pinch of ground cinnamon for a warmer, sweeter profile
Storage & reheating
Cool the soup within 1 hour, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It freezes well for up to 3 months; leave 2 cm of headspace in the container because the soup expands. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring between bursts, until steaming hot. Reheated soup thickens, so stir in a splash of broth or water.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why is my pumpkin lentil soup gritty instead of smooth?
The lentils were not cooked long enough before blending. Red lentils need 20 to 25 minutes of simmering until they break down completely; if a lentil still holds its shape, keep simmering. Blending undercooked lentils only makes them smaller, not creamy.
Can I use canned pumpkin puree instead of fresh pumpkin?
Yes. Use about 800 g of plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, and add it after the lentils have softened. Simmer for only 5 to 10 minutes more, since puree needs no cooking and long simmering dulls its flavour.
How do I know when the soup is done?
The pumpkin should crush with no resistance when pressed against the pot with a spoon, and the lentils should have dissolved into the broth. If the cubes still hold a firm centre, simmer 5 more minutes and test again.
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes, it tastes even better the next day. Make it up to 3 days ahead, cool it quickly and refrigerate; the spices mellow and the texture thickens. Reheat gently and add the lemon juice and a splash of broth just before serving.
Can I freeze pumpkin lentil soup?
It freezes very well for up to 3 months because there is no dairy in it. Freeze in portions, leaving 2 cm of headspace, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring, and thin with broth if needed.
Why did my soup turn out too thick or too thin?
Lentils keep drinking liquid as the soup sits, so a pot that looked perfect can turn thick within an hour. Adjust at serving time with hot broth or water, a few tablespoons at a time. If it is too thin, simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce it.
Can I add coconut milk to make it creamier?
Yes. Stir in 200 ml of full-fat coconut milk after blending and warm it through without boiling hard. Add it off the heat if you want to keep the pumpkin colour bright, and taste for salt afterwards since coconut milk is sweet.
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