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BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

Caribbean Pumpkin and Lentil Soup With Coconut Milk (Vegan)

July 28, 2023 by Charla 8 Comments

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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.

Soup in a blue and green 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.

A picture of ingredients that are needed for the recipe.

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 Close up of the soup

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 stepsSteps 1-6 sauteing the onions and the vegetable stock

  • 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.
Steps 7-10 adding the lentils, pumpkin and coconut milk
  • 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.
Steps 11-14 pureeing the soup
  • 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 croutons
  • 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).
A bowl of two soups

Other heart warming stew and soups to try

  • Ital Stew
  • Vegan Vegetable Soup
  • Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  • Trinidad Corn Soup
  • Crema de Malanga (Dasheen/taro soup)
  • Curried Jackfruit
  • Split Pea Soup

**Please comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Support my website by leaving a donation through Buying Me a Coffee. A site to show your appreciation of my hardwork over the years.  Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

Soup with garnish in a blue bowl

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.
4.80 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Caribbean
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sized onion chopped
  • 3 scallion sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 cups vegetable stock (700ml)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together
  • 1 tablespoon chadon beni use cilantro instead
  • ½ teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper powder or use chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon coconut sugar optional
  • 1 lb pumpkin (roughly 450g) chopped
  • 1 cup red lentils (200g) rinsed
  • 14 oz full fat coconut milk (400ml)
  • 1 scotch bonnet
  • additional pink salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • 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 chadon 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

    • 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 croutons
    • 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).

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1295mg | Potassium: 1674mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 29458IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 7mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

More Caribbean Dishes

  • A bowl of different chopped fruit
    Tropical Fruit Salad
  • 2 glasses of mauby with ice
    Homemade Mauby Drink (Caribbean Bark Beverage)
  • 2 snapper with yuca and oranges garnished
    Baked Snapper (Mojo Style)
  • 2 sea bream on a platter
    Sea Bream Recipe (Air Fried)

About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

Comments

  1. Raquel says

    October 28, 2018 at 9:37 pm

    5 stars
    I am so happy to have found you! This was another wonderful dish -- and talk about healthy. This was delicious, than you!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 29, 2018 at 10:34 am

      Hi Raquel! Welcome 🙂 Thank you. I am so humbled by your comments. This soup in particular seems to be a hit with my readers.

      Reply
  2. Sean says

    October 13, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe-- thank you! I had a similar soup at a restaurant and wanted to duplicate it. This recipe came out tasting very similar.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 13, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      Glad you liked the soup. It's a personal favourite of mine.

      Reply
  3. Judy Hildebrand says

    November 08, 2016 at 6:35 pm

    I just made this recipe and it is delicious! Thank you..
    In my opinion it is helpful to have amounts when listing ingredients, such as approx how many cups of squash along with the size. Also how much dry thyme if fresh isn't available. Just a suggestion.
    The soup has really nice flavor and I love the addition of the lentils which is why I chose to make it. I didn't have red lentils only brown so the color isn't as vibrant as it might be but who cares, it still tastes great!!! Thanks again, looking forward to trying more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Charlene says

      November 09, 2016 at 4:22 pm

      Hi Judy. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I will definitely take your suggestions into consideration and amend the recipe accordingly.

      Reply
    • Gina says

      October 28, 2023 at 8:08 pm

      4 stars
      Wow! Just sublime. I don’t usually follow recipes but this was straightforward and came out better than expected. I left a couple of things out, used dry thyme and no scotch Bonnet but more black pepper and dried chilli. Loved it! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Charla says

        October 28, 2023 at 8:21 pm

        Thank you Gina, glad you enjoyed the recipe and tailored the seasoning to suit.

        Reply
4.80 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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a picture of Charla

Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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