Coconut Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Chicken
You know you’ve hit a home run with a recipe when you get rave reviews from all the little people (ages 1-9) and adults in your life. I made this soup last week for my sister and her kiddos who came over to join us for dinner. Pepper loved this soup so much that I made a second batch the following day because we didn’t have any leftovers. And major bonus, this recipe comes together in a flash which is pretty darn surprising considering how flavorful it is. This soup is spicy, sweet, creamy, and jam packed full of protein thanks to lentils and chicken. If you can remember to plan ahead, soak your lentils for at least 8 hours before making this. I’ve been diligent about soaking after learning all about phytic acid–an enzyme inhibitor that is present in the skins of beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, making it difficult for the body to properly absorb the nutrients. However, if you do an overnight soak and add a touch of acid (like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) you remove the phytic acid making the food you’re preparing more nutritious and easily absorbed by the body.
So now that you’re all prepared to soak your legumes get into your kitchen and make this soup! It’s on the table in 30 minutes and it’s a winner over here! Happy soup making everyone.
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm
Coconut Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Chicken
Prep Time: overnight Cook Time: 30 mins. Serves: 6
- 1 cup red lentils, soaked in 3 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for at least 8 hours
- 4 skin-on-bone-in chicken thighs, patted dry
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
- 1 medium size yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 heaping Tablespoon curry powder (Madras)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- hefty pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 small sugar pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups worth)
- 4 cups water
- 1 (15 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons honey or pure maple syrup
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- chopped cilantro for serving
Preparation
- Drain and thoroughly rinse your lentils and set aside.
- Lightly season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until beginning to soften. About 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat the mixture. Add the diced pumpkin and lentils and give the pot another stir. Pour in the water and add the chicken thighs. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup until the chicken is cooked through and lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup. When cool enough to handle use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the soup along with the coconut milk and honey. Gently heat through. Drizzle in the fresh lemon juice and top with cilantro. Divide between bowls and enjoy.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
Can I use canned pumpkin? If so how much should I use?
Thanks.
I would use a winter squash that you cut up. Canned pumpkin tends to be quite watery. Any winter squash will work. Pumpkin, butternut, acorn, etc. I hope that’s helpful!
This sounds delicious, but I and the kiddos aren’t meat eaters. Would I still simmer rest same length of time if I wasn’t trying to cook chicken? Just enough to get lentils tender I’m guessing… Anything else you would suggest changing? Like maybe more lentils instead? Thank you! I am always looking for more kid-friendly, healthful meals!
I would add about 1/4 cup more lentils and just omit the chicken. I hope that’s helpful! Enjoy the soup!
Super helpful, thanks- can’t wait to try it!
This soup is amazing! I added a red pepper and used Thai curry because that’s what I had. I make a lot of different soups and this is a new favorite for sure. I could probably eat the entire pot by myself. Thanks for the recipe!
This soup was so delicious! I ended up using red Thai curry because that’s what I had in the pantry. I also added a red bell pepper that needed to be used up. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again!