With just one pot and a handful of simple ingredients, One-Pot Pumpkin Lentil Soup is the ultimate cozy meal. Infused with spicy Southwest flavors, this hearty vegetarian soup combines creamy pumpkin and tender lentils to create a dish that’s both filling and incredibly easy to prepare. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll turn to again and again for a comforting, flavorful dinner.
Interested in more delicious vegan lentil soup recipes? Be sure to check out my Crockpot Lentil Soup, Lentil and Spinach Soup, and Simple Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup.
Ingredients
- Olive oil- for sautéing the vegetables
- Celery and onions- what would a soup be without them?
- Minced garlic- another must in soups.
- Black beans- these need to be cooked before adding them to the soup. You can either buy them canned or cook beforehand.
- Rotel- if you have never used Rotel in your soups before, you are missing out!
- Lentils- I used brown lentils, but any lentil can be used.
- Pumpkin puree- this will add flavor and creaminess to the soup.
- Vegetable broth- Chicken broth can also be used, but to keep it vegetarian, use the veggie broth.
- Spices- chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
- Cilantro- optional for topping.
How to make
First, I start by warming olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.
Then, add the onions and celery. Sauté until they are fragrant and softened. This will only take about 3-5 minutes, and the flavor is worth it. If you add all the ingredients together without forming layers, you'll miss out on building flavors, and the soup won't have as much depth.
Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. It cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it.
Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Allow the soup to cook for 25-35 minutes. When done, the lentils should be soft and tender. This is a thick soup. However, If you're finding that your soup is too thick, you may need to add additional water to finish cooking the veggies and lentils.
How to use fresh pumpkins in this soup
I used canned pumpkin in this soup to save time. If you want to cook your own, it's easier than you think. You'll need a sugar pumpkin. These are smaller and softer than jack o lantern pumpkins. They are much tastier for cooking.
You can do this in two ways:
Option 1: You can roast the pumpkin and make a puree. To roast it, cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast at 400 degrees until tender. Next, scoop out the flesh and place it into a food processor. Blend for 60 seconds or until completely smooth.
Option 2: You can add it directly to the soup. The next way is you can peel the pumpkin, cut it into small cubes, and cook them in the soup. Or, cook those cubes on their own in vegetable stock, puree them, and add them to the soup.
How to serve the pumpkin lentil soup
This soup tastes delicious with a variety of toppings. You can add grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onions, and crushed red pepper- the choice is yours!
For side dishes, I served ours with charred tortillas, and I love them with this.
You can also serve it with fresh cornbread or dinner rolls as well.
Can you freeze this soup?
Yes, this soup freezes great! This soup can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. A great way to freeze soup is to place it into a gallon freezer ziplock bag and allow it to freeze completely flat. This will cut down on thawing time and take up less freezer space.
You can separate it into smaller ziplock freezer bags for more individual-sized servings. Thaw your frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight or in a sink of cool water for 10-15 minutes, then reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
Bread Recommendations
- Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
- Green Onion and Gruyere Biscuits
- Honey Oatmeal Bread
- Multigrain Bread
- Parker House Rolls
One-Pot Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped celery I used a large size on mine, but if you prefer a smaller dice, do that
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained
- 2 15 ounce cans rotel
- 1 cup dried lentils You really can use any lentil you have on hand.
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt You may need to add more after the soup has cooked and reduced. Don't add it until the end though. Also, if you stock is pretty salty, reduce this salt to ½ teaspoon.
- 1 cup chopped cilantro plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Once it has heated, add celery and onions. Saute for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender. Add in garlic and cook another minute.
- Add in remaining ingredients and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 25-35 minutes.
- Now, depending on the actual temp of your cooktop, you may be running hotter than mine. If this is the case, you might need to add in more water at some point. If this happens, add in 2 cups and continue to cook until the veggies and lentils are tender.
- After the soup has been cooked, test for seasoning. If you need to add more.
- You can serve this soup just like it is. You can top with cilantro, grated cheese, red onions, sour cream, or whatever you are into. We also served our soup with charred tortillas. If you aren't into this, you can always do bread or crackers.
Notes
- I used canned pumpkin in this soup to save time. If you wanted to cook your own, you can do it in 2 ways. First, you can roast it yourself. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast at 400 degrees until tender.
- The next way is you can peel the pumpkin, cut it into small cubes, and cook it in the soup. Or, cook those cubes on their own in veggies stock, puree, and add them to the soup.
- You can also use chicken stock if you want in this recipe. I used veggie stock as I was keeping this vegetarian.
- You will need to stir this soup on the regular when you are cooking it. Pumpkins and lentils will tend to burn if you aren't watching them.
- When you are reheating, simply throw it in the microwave for a few minutes, or heat it on the cooktop.
Greg Pilgrim says
I'm definitely saving this one!! I think this would be a great one to dish up on the wagon !!
admin says
I hope you guys like it Greg!!