This vegan red lentil soup is packed with healthy red peppers and kale in a pumpkin curry broth. A hearty fall soup full of a perfect blend of spices makes it completely addictive!  You will never believe that such a healthy soup could taste so good.

A bowl of red lentil soup with red peppers and kale in a pumpkin curry broth.

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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s quick and easy to make!
  • This soup is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free so nearly everyone can enjoy it!
  • It’s healthy!  Each bowl is packed with over 50% of your RDA of vitamins A and C plus it’s full of plant protein.
  • This soup works great for meal prep lunches or can be frozen to heat up later. – It may even taste even better the next day!

✨ Red lentils

Red lentils are a legume, they are smaller and thinner than green lentils and cook faster. They are usually more of an orange color than red, although the colors can vary.  Red lentils are commonly used in Indian cooking to make soups and dahl. 

If you want to learn more about lentils, check out this post from Fix on everything you need to know about lentils.

❔Where can I buy red lentils?

Red lentils are actually very easy to find once you start looking for them.  I’ve seen red lentils in most major grocery stores near the dried beans.  You can always find them in your local health food store in the bulk section and Trader Joe’s and Aldi usually have them as well.  If you are lucky enough to have a local Indian market, they will carry them for sure.

A close up of a bowl of red lentil pumpkin soup.

🌶️ Spices

My absolute favorite curry to use in this soup is Balti seasoning.  It has the perfect blend of flavors that make this soup amazing!  I usually find this spice mix at Penzey or Whole Foods. You can order it from Amazon as well.

I use the Balti seasoning in my squash and chickpea curry and red lentil curry as well, so I like to keep a jar on hand.

If you don’t want to order something special, you can use any basic curry powder, cumin, and ginger to replace the Balti for a similar flavor.

🥄 How to make red lentil soup

Step 1 – Start by sautéing an onion in some olive oil over low heat until they’re translucent and then add a diced red pepper.

Step 2 – Sauté the onion and pepper for a few more minutes before turning up the heat to medium-high, and add the broth, pumpkin, and spices.

Step 3 – Wash your red lentils in a wire mesh strainer until the water runs clean and add them to the soup once it starts to boil.

A series of 3 pictures showing how to saute the onions and peppers, add the broth, and wash the lentils to make the vegan red lentil soup.

Step 4 – Simmer your soup for 10 minutes to allow the lentils to cook most of the way.

Step 5 – While the soup is simmering, wash your kale, break it up into small pieces remove the large tough stems, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.

Step 6 – Then massage the kale with your hands until it becomes dark green and shiny.

Step 7 – Add your massaged kale to the soup after the lentils have cooked for 10 minutes and then let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes with the kale in it. Serve the soup hot.

A series of 3 pictures showing how to add the red lentils, massage the kale, and combine it all for a perfect red lentil soup.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • If you cook the lentils for more than 15 minutes, they start to thicken the soup more and get very soft.  (It’s not a bad thing, you will just have more of a lentil dahl consistency)
  • If you want to continue simmering it until it’s thick, it can be served over rice as a hearty meal.
  • Don’t skip the step of massaging the kale!  It is important for taste and texture.
  • You can swap out the kale for spinach if you want but put it in at the end of cooking instead of 5 minutes before the end.

🌟 Lentil substitutions

If you don’t have red lentils, you can substitute yellow lentils or yellow split peas, but I would not recommend green lentils.  This soup is best with red or yellow lentils, they are smaller and more tender than green lentils so they cook faster and have a more delicate flavor. 

If you only have green lentils, make my creamy lentil soup.

❔Do I have to use pumpkin?

No, you don’t have to use pumpkin if you don’t like it.  You can simply use a cup of water instead, however, the pumpkin puree gives it a rich and creamy texture and a slightly sweet taste.  You could also swap out unsweetened applesauce for a similar effect if you don’t like the pumpkin flavor.

If you like lentils, you will love my chickpea lentil curry, vegan lentil soup with lemon and kale, and vegan lentil loaf.

A top view of vegan red lentil soup with red peppers, pumpkin, and kale in a white bowl.

This soup is perfect for Thanksgiving!  Make sure to check out my collection of 65 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes!

🌟 More vegan soup recipes

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Red lentil soup recipe

A close up of a vegan red lentil soup made with pumpkin and kale with a red tea towel around it.
5 from 5 rating

Red Lentil Soup with Pumpkin and Kale

Yield: 12 cups
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A vegan and gluten-free red lentil soup with pumpkin and kale, seasoned with curry spices.
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 medium red pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, (divided)
  • 8 cups vegetable broth, or water
  • 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 2 cups red lentils
  • 4 cups kale
  • 1 teaspoon salt, (optional- it may not be needed if using salty broth)
  • 3 teaspoon balti seasoning, (or 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp curry powder)

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Peel and dice the onion. Sauté it in 2 tbsp of olive oil over low heat until they’re translucent. Then add a washed, seeded, and diced red pepper.
  • Sauté the onion and pepper for a few more minutes, then turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the broth, pumpkin, and spices.
  • Wash your red lentils in a wire mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Add them to the soup once it starts to boil.
  • Simmer your soup for 10 minutes to allow the lentils to cook most of the way.
  • While the soup is simmering, wash your kale, break it up into small pieces removing the large tough stems, and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, then massage the kale with your hands until it becomes dark green and shiny.
  • Add your massaged kale to the soup after the lentils have cooked for 10 minutes. Then let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes with the kale in it.  Turn off the soup and serve hot.

Notes

  • If you cook the lentils for more than 15 minutes, they start to thicken the soup more and get very soft.  (It’s not a bad thing, you will just have more of a lentil dahl consistency)
  • If you want to continue simmering it until it’s thick, it can be served over rice as a hearty meal.
  • Don’t skip the step of massaging the kale!  It is important for both taste and texture.
  • You can swap out the kale for spinach, but add it at the end of cooking instead of 5 minutes before the end.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 171kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g, Sodium: 637mg, Potassium: 430mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2885IU, Vitamin C: 41.5mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 2.7mg
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