Caribbean Pumpkin and Lentil Soup With Coconut Milk (Vegan)

A delicious heart warming Caribbean style pumpkin soup with red lentils. This recipe is made with creamy coconut milk, tasty, brimming with heart warming spices and vegan friendly. A totally nutritional dense and flavoursome soup.

I love lentils and pumpkin, put both of them together in a soup and it creates something magical.

Don't believe me? Try this recipe! I dare you to!

Soup plays a crucial role in the Caribbean cuisine and it is something that is served throughout the entire year especially on Saturdays.

Unlike the Western hemisphere where soup is often associated with autumn and winter.

Even in the hot blazing sun, island people will opt for some piping hot soup.

I decided to do a velvety smooth soup with a Caribbean twist, which is a polar opposite to the typical Caribbean soup that's filled with solid root vegetables and meat.

Contrary to popular belief not all Caribbean soup contains meat and this recipe is completely vegan friendly with pumpkin being one of the stars of the show.

Calabaza pumpkin, is the preferred pumpkin for Caribbean recipes. If you're an avid reader than you will have already heard about this type of pumpkin.

It gives this soup that true Caribbean flare.

Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, there are so many varieties with my favourite being red ones.

I love using legumes in my recipes because they are extremely cheap and budget friendly.

In these times, where inflation is skyrocketing this is the type of recipe that you might want to consider.

Don't forget to checkout my Pumpkin Recipe Roundup.

Red lentils are;

•  A great source of plant based protein
• High in fibre and complex carbohydrates
• Great for aiding bowel movements
• An excellent source of B vitamins
• High in iron and magnesium (source)

As you can see, the above showcases the nutritional value of red lentils and just how important they are to our lifestyle.

Reasons to make this recipe

• This is a budget friendly recipe
• A great way to utilise both pumpkin and red lentils
• A soup that is very filling and delicious
• You can freeze any leftovers
• It is a great alternative to solid food
• Dairy free and vegan friendly

The steps

• On low heat, add the olive oil to a non stick saucepan and proceed to saute the onions and garlic until golden.
• Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan.
• Stir in the ginger, thyme shado beni,, scotch bonnet pepper powder/chilli, black pepper, pink salt, coconut sugar pumpkin and red lentils and bring to the boil.

• Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the coconut milk and add the whole scotch bonnet.
• Cover the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils and pumpkin are fork tender.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the scotch bonnet/thyme stems from the pot and discard.

• Remove the soup mixture from the saucepan and transfer into a blender.
• Blitz the mixture into a smooth consistency.
• Do a taste test and add additional black pepper and pink salt, if needed.

Notes and tips

• If you are not able to source calabaza pumpkin then simply use butternut squash or even sweet potato instead.
• Feel free to garnish the soup with any toasted pumpkin seeds, herbs or even gluten free crotons
• Feel free to use green/brown lentils instead of red ones.
• This is the recipe that you will need for my Homemade Vegetable Broth.
• It is very important to use FULL FAT COCONUT milk to optimise that creamy texture.
• As the soup cools down it may thicken up, if it does, add a splash of water or broth to it.
• Any leftovers should be refrigerated for 2-3 days or alternatively, you can freeze the soup (for up to 3 months) in a freezer friendly container (mircowave/re-heat on the stovetop).

Other heart warming stew and soups to try