Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup: Cosy, Creamy, and Easy
Warm Comfort for Cold Days
This Spoonie-friendly Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup was the result of my need to do something with the pumpkins that were threatening to take over my kitchen.
But how could I possibly have resisted buying a bunch of pumpkins at only €0.99 each? I mean, staying financially afloat when living on disability isn’t exactly easy, but a man’s got to eat, right?
Looking through my Recipe Requests, Bryna’s submission caught my eye:
I’d love some veggie-forward chili, curry, or soup recipes with some really easy bread/flatbread to go along with.
No nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish/fish, bell pepper, or spinach. Vegan/DF.
Cooking Energy: Low — I can manage 10–20 minutes, light prep. Low to medium energy, but preferably leaning low.
I love veggie (and/or bean)-rich, warm, hearty dishes, but they take so much chopping, adding ingredients in numerous steps, babysitting one or several pots on the stove. So any ideas for still capturing the essence of it without needing to cut and stand too much would be amazing!!
Bonus points for a really simple bread/flatbread/cornbread type thing to dip in it!
That was my lightbulb moment. I’d create a lovely, creamy pumpkin lentil soup. Warm comfort food for cold days, and the perfect match for Bryna’s request.
What goes into this plant-based slow cooker pumpkin soup
This pumpkin soup recipe uses just seven common ingredients: pumpkin or other winter squash, red (split) lentils, apple, onion, garlic, ginger, and some spices.
I made this recipe with half butternut squash and half red kuri (Hokkaido) pumpkin, but any pumpkin/squash variety would do. That said, I really like this combination because Hokkaido gives this soup a rich, nutty flavour, while butternut adds a mellow sweetness that keeps this soup light and velvety.
The red lentils act as a thickener and a source of protein, while adding a subtle, earthy flavour to counterbalance the pumpkin’s sweetness.
The apple brings just a touch of tart fruitiness to the soup. I used Belle de Boskoop, which might be hard to get outside of the Netherlands; Bramley or even Granny Smith would work well, too.Fresh ginger enhances this creamy pumpkin lentil soup with a hint of warmth, while the onion and garlic contribute savoury undertones. A generous spoonful of tikka masala spice mix ties it all together and turns our simple pumpkin soup into a mildly spiced and deeply comforting dish.
Delicious variations on this warming autumn soup
This plant-based pumpkin soup recipe is, like most of my spoonie-friendly recipes, easy to adapt to your own taste or dietary needs.
- For a lower-carb/diabetic-friendly version:
- swap the red lentils for yellow split peas (lower in carbs) or green lentils (lower-digesting carbs)
- Use less apple or omit the apple entirely
- To adjust for SIBO/low-FODMAP:
- replace onion and garlic with fennel fronds, spring onion tops, or chives
- use garlic infused oil (if tolerated), or just leave the garlic out
- Swap lentils for firm tofu or extra pumpkin
- For a more rustic soup: add in big chunks of carrot, parsnip, and broccoli
- Hungarian Style: smoked sausages (cut into thick slices) instead of lentils (for the carnivores), red and green bell peppers, quartered onions, and dill, bay leaf, marjoram, and parsley instead of tikka masala spices
- Vegan/Vegetarian version: use vegan sausages if you can get them, or add potatoes, a splash of tamari and some smoked paprika
- Italian Style: white beans instead of lentils, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme instead of tikka masala spices, Swiss chard, dried tomatoes, cubed courgette, and chunks of parsnip. Top with grated Parmesan or your favourite vegan cheese.
Please Note: when making the Rustic, Hungarian Style, or Italian Style version, you need to cook and blend the base first (after 2 hrs on high or 4 hours on low). Then stir in other ingredients (chunky veg, and cooked white beans or sausage slices) and cook for another 1½–2 hours on low or 45–60 minutes on high.
Serving suggestions
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil or a swirl of coconut milk or (vegan) yoghurt, and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
- Serve with gluten-free bread, flat bread, corn bread, or bread sticks (I love Laurieri Grissinetti with sea salt; they’re bite-sized, made from cornflour, soy flour, and chickpea flour, and are utterly delicious).
But honestly?
This warming autumn soup is so good, it doesn’t even need any dressing up at all. Just curl up on the couch in your pyjamas, with a warm blanket, soothing music in the background, and enjoy a big mug of this piping hot comfort food for cold days.
Dreams of lentil bread
Once the soup was simmering away, filling the house with its tantalising autumn scent, I started daydreaming. Of food, of course. I thought of my recipes for Lentil Bread and Yellow Split Pea Muffins over on Substack, and how lovely it would be to have either of these with my soup.
Alas! Both these recipes require something I did not have:
- Advance planning (the lentils/yellow peas need to be soaked overnight)
- A decent amount of spoons
So that wasn’t happening. In fact, I didn’t even have the spoons to make a quick flatbread, so once the soup was ready I ate it plain. It was still amazingly comforting, tasty, and filling.
Spoonie Notes
This recipe is pretty low-effort, but Spoonie life is rough, so here are some ways to make it even easier:
- Use pre-cut pumpkin (or even tinned pumpkin puree, if available).
- Skip the roasting step entirely, and dump your pumpkin cubes directly into the slow cooker. Your soup might take a little longer, but will taste just fine.
- Use garlic puree, or even garlic powder, instead of garlic cloves.
- Prepare your pumpkin in advance. Your prepped pumpkin puree will stay good in the fridge for several days.
These tips will help you can whip up a healthy, nourishing, and incredibly creamy pumpkin lentil soup, on a low-spoon day. And when the slow cooker has finished its job, you’ll still have the energy to actually eat.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allergy Information
- Free from: dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts, soy
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
- Slow cooker (3.5–6 L capacity) any size that comfortably fits around 1½ litres of soup.
- Cutting board and sharp knife for chopping onion, garlic, apple, and pumpkin (if you’re not using pre-cut or roasted pieces).
- Vegetable peeler optional, if peeling fresh pumpkin or apple.
- Scales
- Blender or stick blender for creating that silky, creamy texture once everything’s cooked.
- Wooden spoon or spatula to stir and scrape the sides.
- Ladle for serving or transferring portions to storage containers.
- Heatproof containers with lids if you plan to store or freeze portions for later.
Ingredients
- 700-800 g roasted pumpkin peeled weight
- 180 g red lentils about 1 cup
- 1 medium apple peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2-3 cm fresh ginger grated (or about 1½ tsp ground ginger)
- 3 tsp tikka masala spice mix
- 1 litre water or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add everything except seasoning to the slow cooker.
- Cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until lentils are soft.
- Blend until creamy (either with a stick blender directly in the pot or in batches).
- Adjust seasoning, and thin slightly with a splash more hot stock or water if needed.
Notes
- Most of the cooking time is completely passive. Your slow cooker does all the work while you rest, read, or warm your hands around a cup of tea.
- Use pre-chopped frozen onion, minced garlic from a jar, tinned pumpkin purée, or ready-cut squash. The soup will still be every bit as comforting.
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