Creamy red lentil soup with corn, pumpkin and turmeric is especially warming and healing for this time of the year.
This is an easy soup recipe that not only feels satisfying but also brings a lot of balancing goodness to the tummy. The lovely sweetness of pumpkin pairs perfectly with the pungent spiciness of healing turmeric in addition to the earthiness of red lentils. I love making this soup in the pressure cooker but it’s equally easy to make in little time on the stove top in a thick bottom pot.
When pumpkin had just come into season some couple of months ago, I bought a few with the intention to cut and freeze them. Two months later, I still hadn’t freeze them and as it turned out, the remaining ones are still as good as freshly bought. It’s pretty amazing how pumpkin can last that long when uncut protected by their thick skin.
I’ve made this red lentil soup a few times already with the turban squash and sweet dumpling varieties of pumpkin. If you can’t get hold of fresh pumpkin, you may substitute with butternut squash or use canned pumpkin puree (but not pumpkin pie filling).
Although I don’t use garlic on a daily basis, as neither Kevin nor I can tolerate it very well, I do like to add a little bit in this soup for its medicinal properties only when I am trying to fight a cold or infection. A little garlic every now and then does us good, but regular use upsets our system. The same goes for onions and other vegetables or herbs of the same family.
To make creamy corn pumpkin and red lentil soup
- start by sauteing the ginger and garlic, then add in the pumpkin and saute for a few more minutes.
- add the remaining ingredients then simmer or pressure cook until lentils and vegetables are soft.
- garnish with fresh parsley and serve with some crusty bread
I sometimes top this soup with some tofu croutons for more protein and some crunchy chewy texture. Simply beautiful and perfect for this time of the year. If you’re hosting dinner during this festive season, it makes a delightful warming starter.
You might like these other hearty soups, warming for fall and winter
Turmeric Leek Lentil and Potato Soup
Roasted Carrot and Pumpkin Soup with Tofu Croutons (video below)
Mauritian Dal (Yellow Split Pea Soup) with Eggplant
Creamy Corn Pumpkin Red Lentils Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger, or about 2.5cm-[1 inch]-cube fresh ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 350 g turban squash, or pumpkin, peeled and cubed (sweet dumpling or butternut squash are also good) [12 oz]
- 150 g dried red lentils, [3/4 cup]
- 175 g frozen sweet corn, [1 cup]
- 1 litre vegetable broth, or water, more as desired for soup consistency
- 1 heaped teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder, (omit if using vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 – 5 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/3 cup coconut milk, canned
- 1/3 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish, finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash the lentils a few times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Set the pressure on saute mode.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil, then add the minced ginger and garlic. Saute for about 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Then add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cancel the saute mode.
- Place the lid on with the valve in the closed position.
- Select the soup mode and set the cooking time to 14 minutes. If you don’t have a soup mode, use the manual settings – medium pressure/temperature for 14 minutes.
- When the time is up, allow the pressure to go down naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining steam.
- Open the lid and give the soup a stir.
- Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the chunky vegetables directly in the pot. Be careful not to splash the hot soup and make sure your hand blender is suitable to be immersed in hot liquids.
- Else, process the soup in a blender a small batch at a time.
- Pour the soup back into the pot. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper.
- Add water if needed to obtain the desired soup consistency.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately accompanied with crusty bread or on its own.
Stove top Instructions
- In a saucepan or thick bottom pot on medium-high heat, proceed with steps 2 – 4 as for pressure cooker instructions above.
- Cover the pot then simmer for 15 – 18 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are soft. Occasionally stir the soup, check for water level and add more water if needed.
- Proceed with steps 10 – 14 as above.
Here’s a video that we made a while ago for the Roasted Carrot and Pumpkin Soup with Tofu Croutons recipe.
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