Recipes
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup
The unexpected combination of red lentils and canned pumpkin make the base of this richly spiced, hands-off soup, seasoned with earthy turmeric, smoky paprika and citrusy coriander. The slow-cooker recipe leans on budget-friendly pantry items for a lot of flavor payoff with very little work. Before serving, it takes just 10 minutes to toast pepitas with cumin and fry some chopped red onion, quickly yielding finishing touches that make an outsize contribution. You can also make this soup on the stovetop: Just combine the ingredients in a large pot as you would the slow cooker, bring to a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (You may need to adjust the texture for the stovetop by adding a little bit more water.)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups red lentils
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Add the lentils, pumpkin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, red pepper, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker; top with 5 cups water and stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, until the lentils are tender. (This soup holds well on warm if you need flexibility.)
- Before serving, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over high heat. Add the pepitas, cumin seeds and, if the pepitas are unsalted, a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pepitas are toasted and the cumin is sizzling and popping, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape the seasoned pepitas onto a paper-towel lined plate. Put the skillet back over high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the red onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is browned and softened, about 8 minutes.
- Scrape the onion and its oil into the soup along with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle with the toasted pepitas. The soup will thicken as it cools, so adjust the texture with additional water as necessary.