Curried Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk
A pantry pumpkin red lentil soup: canned pumpkin, curry spices and red lentils simmered until silky, then finished with coconut milk and lime. Ready in 45 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Curried Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk is a vegan lunch recipe made with coconut oil, yellow onion, garlic. It takes 45 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 500 calories, 21 g of protein and 13 g of fiber.
Red lentils fall apart as they simmer, so they thicken the soup and blend completely smooth. That means you get body without roasting a squash. Canned pumpkin gives you the color and the earthy sweetness in the time it takes to open a can. Frying the curry powder and tomato paste in oil before adding liquid keeps the spices from tasting raw, and a squeeze of lime at the end sharpens the rich coconut base.
A protein boost + pantry shortcut (red lentils blended in for ~18g protein, canned pumpkin purée instead of roasted butternut and apple) take on our Ginger Miso Butternut Squash Soup with Apple.
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp20 gcoconut oil
- 1 large150 gyellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves12 ggarlic, minced
- 1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, finely grated
- 1½ tbsp9 gmild curry powder
- 1 tsp2.1 gground cumin
- ½ tsp1.5 gground turmeric
- ¼ tsp0.5 gred pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp16 gtomato paste
- 1½ cups288 gdried red lentils, rinsed
- 1 can425 gcanned pumpkin purée (not pie filling), 15-oz can
- 4 cups960 glow-sodium vegetable broth
- 1½ cups356 gwater, plus more to thin
- 1 tsp6 gfine salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp31 gfresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
Soup
To serve
- 2 tbsp28 gcoconut milk, for swirling (optional)
- ¼ cup32 gtoasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
- ¼ cup4 gfresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Kit: large pot or Dutch oven, immersion blender or countertop blender, fine-mesh sieve
Tips
- Check the can says 100% pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will make the soup taste like dessert.
- Curry powders range widely in heat and salt. Start with a mild one and add a pinch of cayenne at the end if you want more kick.
- The soup keeps thickening as it cools because the lentils absorb liquid. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
Swap ideas
- Use 1 1/2 cups roasted butternut squash or sweet potato mash instead of the canned pumpkin
- Makes it sweeter and slightly thicker. Add an extra 1/2 cup water.
- Use 1 tsp garam masala instead of the cumin, stirred in with the coconut milk
- Gives a warmer, more aromatic finish with notes of cinnamon and clove.
- Use light coconut milk instead of full-fat
- Makes a lighter soup that is slightly less creamy and rich.
- Stir 2 packed cups baby spinach into the blended soup and let it wilt
- Adds greens and flecks of color without changing the flavor much.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
500kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 15.5 g 78%
- Sugars
- 7.2 g
- Sodium
- 1320 mg 57%
- Potassium
- 1040 mg 22%
- Calcium
- 118 mg 9%
- Iron
- 10.1 mg 56%
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg 16%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Oil, coconut, Onions, raw, Garlic, raw, Ginger root, raw, Spices, curry powder, Spices, cumin seed, Spices, turmeric, ground, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne, Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Lentils, pink or red, raw, Pumpkin, canned, without salt, Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Salt, table, Nuts, coconut milk, canned (liquid expressed from grated meat and water), Lime juice, raw, Spices, pepper, black
Method
Put the red lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, rubbing them with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear. Rinsing removes the surface starch that makes the soup foam. Set aside to drain.
Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent with a few golden edges, 6–8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red and the spices smell toasty. Add a splash of the water if anything starts to stick.
Add the drained lentils, pumpkin purée, broth, water and the rest of the salt. Stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 18–22 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes so the lentils don't stick. They're done when they have lost their shape and a lentil mashes easily against the side of the pot.
Take the pot off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. If using a countertop blender, work in batches, fill it no more than halfway and vent the lid so steam can escape.
Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice and black pepper, then warm over low heat for 1–2 minutes without letting it boil. If it's thicker than you like, thin it with hot water, 1/4 cup at a time. Taste and add more salt or lime if needed.
Ladle into bowls. If you like, swirl in a little coconut milk and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro.
Storage: Cool the soup, then refrigerate it in airtight containers for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove, adding water to thin it, and add the toppings just before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk?
- Each of the 4 servings has 21 g of protein, 13 g of fiber and 500 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, so 45 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk ahead?
- Cool the soup, then refrigerate it in airtight containers for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove, adding water to thin it, and add the toppings just before serving.
- What can I substitute in curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk?
- Use 1 1/2 cups roasted butternut squash or sweet potato mash instead of the canned pumpkin — makes it sweeter and slightly thicker. add an extra 1/2 cup water.. Use 1 tsp garam masala instead of the cumin, stirred in with the coconut milk — gives a warmer, more aromatic finish with notes of cinnamon and clove.. Use light coconut milk instead of full-fat — makes a lighter soup that is slightly less creamy and rich.. Stir 2 packed cups baby spinach into the blended soup and let it wilt — adds greens and flecks of color without changing the flavor much..
- Does curried pumpkin red lentil soup with coconut milk contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 24, 2026 ·Indian-inspired
