Pumpkin Lentil Soup
A delicious and filling Lentil and Pumpkin Soup loaded with immunity building onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric! This soup is a must try, y’all!

These days there seems to be a quiz for just about everything! From “What Disney Character are YOU?” or “Who should I dress up as for Halloween?” to “How good is your vocabulary?” and, one of my favorites “How dirty are you?” (which happens to be in reference to your personal hygiene and not your behavior, we are PG 13 over here people) the consensus is: when it doubt, quiz it out!

Recently my daughter came across a quiz titled “Will you get Alzheimer’s?” and she figured she would have me take the quiz – without me knowing! So while I was in the middle of cooking this Pumpkin & Lentil Soup for dinner and picking myself up off the floor after tripping over my dog, she started asking me a set of weird questions. Between cooking and looking in my purse for the Advil Tablet Vial for my hurt derrière, I did not give her questions the attention they demanded.
When she was done, she looked all glum for a second and informed me that I was a candidate for early onset Alzheimer’s and then she cheered up and began calling me “Alzy” – I have no clue where she gets her sense of humor from! Now, Alzheimer’s is not something to take lightly. But I don’t have it. Seriously – I am not in denial. I have just been so busy recently and I haven’t been writing down where I need to be and what I need to do, like I know I should and well, you can only fill a bucket so high right?

Ingredients to make this Pumpkin Lentil Soup
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh turmeric chopped can substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon dried turmeric powder if fresh isn’t available
- 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric no need to add this if you used 1 1/4 teaspoons fried turmeric from step above
- 1 cup lentils
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 jalapeno chopped optional
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional
- 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek optional
Instructions
Add olive oil to a pan and make sure to swirl it around so it comes the bottom
Add the onions, garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric and saute for about 10 minutes – stirring often
Add in the lentils and stir lentils around in mixture so they are covered in olive oil too
Add in the water, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, turmeric powder, chili, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper and stir well.
Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to low and let simmer for 15-17 minutes stir in jalapenos

Ingredients
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh turmeric chopped can substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon dried turmeric powder if fresh isn’t available
- 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric no need to add this if you used 1 1/4 teaspoons fried turmeric from step above
- 1 cup lentils
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 jalapeno chopped optional
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds optional
- 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek optional
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a pan and make sure to swirl it around so it comes the bottom
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric and saute for about 10 minutes – stirring often
- Add in the lentils and stir lentils around in mixture so they are covered in olive oil too
- Add in the water, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, turmeric powder, chili, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper and stir well.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to low and let simmer for 15-17 minutes stir in jalapenos
- Serve warm and top with sesame seeds and Sambal Oelek
Great sounding recipe, I love turmeric with pumpkin the flavours marry so well, delicious!
They definitely do! Thanks so much Brian!
This pumpkin lentil soup looks so flavorful and delicious. I would love to give it a try soon. Thank you for this delicious share! 🙂
Thanks so much Anu – I so appreciate your kind words 🙂
That’s a really good looking soup. Love the combination of pumpkin and lentils. Ang great spices to warm it all up. Looking forward to making it.
Thanks so much Mark – I sure hope you enjoy it
I love lentils in soups. Can’t wait to try this one, its looks delicious.
Thanks so much Cristie! I hope you love this as much as we did 🙂
I love the look of this soup!! I am always trying new lentil recipes, and this one sounds amazing!
Also, when I was young, I absolutely loved taking those kinds of quizzes! If I had access to a computer when I was a kid, I am sure I would be looking at that Alzheimer’s quiz too :p
Hahaha! Those quizzes sure an make the day go by quicker!
Thanks so much Cathleen
Now I need to take this quiz 🙂 Love lentil soup but haven’t made it in a long time! Will try this one as soon as my finger gets better. I drink Emergen C all the time and I always have Advil in my purse!
Yes! Emergen-C is one of my favs when flu season comes around! Thanks so much Mira
Lentils make the best addition to a soup. I never would have thought that, but got introduced to lentil soup while living in Greece. Don’t you just love how healthy soups are without even trying? Love this, Shashi … so many yummy flavours in it!
Helen, I gotta agree – love how healthy some soups can be without even trying to make them so and taste as good! 🙂
Thanks so much BTW!
Too funny… and this soup sounds totally yummy! I don’t think you’ve forgotten how to make tasty food! Just keep reminding your daughter of that!
Hahaha! Thanks so much Kathy! Your comment made my day – I have gotta share this with my daughter tomorrow when she wakes up 🙂
I think I’d be too afraid to take that test. I trip over my dog all the time! I do love the bowls you served your soup in – really pretty colours xx
Haha – I am glad I’m not the only one tripping over my dog Charlie! And thanks so much! Those bowls were a gift from my mom and dad way long ago when my daughter and I moved into out house.
Looove this pumpkin lentil soup! YUM! I frequently make soup just like this! To stay healthy I love to put the emergen-c powder in my water!
Thanks so much Vicky!
I’m trying to make sure I get enough sleep. I know that I tend to get sick when I’m run down, so that’s my first line of defense. I also like making sure I take my vitamins, too! Thanks for sharing this soup recipe – it looks delicious! {client}
Thanks so much Stephanie! You are right – sleep is important for me too!
Shashi, I love this pumpkin lentil soup! and I drink an Emergen-C all the time when I’m feeling like I’m about to get sick. . I didn’t know there were chewables!!! love this!
Thanks so much Alice!
Love the flavors and textures of this soup, Shashi! It looks warming and delicious – the kind of thing I want to get cozy by a fire and eat. Yum!
Thanks so much Marissa!
The fresh turmeric root is fantastic to use 🙂
You sure are right, Tandy!