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.
½teaspoonscotch bonnet pepper powder(2.5g)or use chilli powder
1teaspoonpink salt(6g)
1teaspoonblack pepper(2g)
½teaspooncoconut sugar(2g) optional
1lbpumpkin(roughly 450g) chopped
1cupred lentils(200g) rinsed
14ozfull fat coconut milk(400ml)
1scotch 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 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
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.
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).