Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
A silky, comforting slow cooker pumpkin soup made with roasted pumpkin, red lentils, apple, and warming spices. Gluten-free, plant-based, and spoonie-friendly: perfect for cold days when you need warmth without the effort.This recipe blends cosy British-style comfort cooking with the creamy pumpkin soups of American autumns, then invites gentle twists from Hungarian and Italian kitchens.
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
Spoonie 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.
