This easy vegan pumpkin lentil curry will nourish your body and warm your soul. Made with coconut milk for a luscious texture and perfect over rice, this meal is ready in 30 minutes!
I’m back with one more pumpkin recipe! And maybe I will move on. This vegan Pumpkin Lentil Curry is ready in less than 30 minutes and couldn’t be easier to make. Plus, this recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover pumpkin.
How to make an easy lentil curry
For this recipe, you’ll need canned pumpkin (or cooked pumpkin puree), dry red lentils, coconut milk, and your favorite curry paste or spice mix plus plenty of aromatics like onions and garlic.
No. It’s not the prettiest recipe but it’s one of the tastiest. I’ve cooked it twice in the last month, and I’m making it again today as part of my Sunday meal prep.
A note about coconut milk
This curry includes coconut milk and vegetable broth. The coconut milk adds subtle sweetness along with a luxurious, creamy texture.
And yes. I used regular canned coconut milk. If you find it to be too thick or the coconut flavor too heavy, you can try using just half a can of coconut milk. In this case, you’ll replace the other half with broth.
NOTE: Canned light coconut milk is the same thing. You literally pay for half a can of water. So yeah. Skip that and add your own water.
That said, I cannot vouch for the flavor if you cut the coconut milk in half. I haven’t tested it. I love this curry just as is. But please let me know if you change it up in the comments.
This easy Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Curry is perfect for fall and ready in less than 30 minutes!
The best lentils for curry
Enough about coconut milk. The lentils cook fast. Unlike other pulses, you can cook lentils from start to finish (no soaking) in under 20 minutes. Red lentils, in particular, cook really fast and will become mushy after about 15 minutes.
For a heartier, more stew-like finish, try brown or green lentils. These hold up a little longer to the heat.
Black lentils are even more firm and work great for salads, grain bowls, and meal prep.
Like any stew or curry, this pumpkin lentil curry starts with plenty of aromatics. Sauté the onion in plenty of olive oil then add garlic and curry paste. Cook until the paste blends in with the mixture.
Make it spicier with fresh habanero or other hot peppers, crushed red chili flakes, or just a bit more curry paste. Keep in mind that most curry pastes have added salt so you’ll need to adjust that accordingly.
Once the onions, garlic, and curry are well combined and fragrant, add the broth, coconut milk, pumpkin, and lentils. Cover and cook. Walk away for a bit but stir occasionally.
It’s not the prettiest dish. Because of that and to help add extra nutrition and some crunch, I stirred in baby spinach and topped the curry with cashews and cilantro.
You can opt out of these and enjoy it as is in all of its orange-brown glory! Make it your own by adding your favorite toppings and serving as is or with rice, cauliflower, or quinoa!
Is this a good meal prep recipe?
This pumpkin lentil curry will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days but it also freezes very well. Freeze any extras on the first day in a freezer-safe glass container or freezer bag. I hope you love it as much as I do! Tag me on Instagram when you make it and be sure to PIN it for later!
Can this curry be made in the slow cooker?
I don’t recommend it. Because red lentils cook so fast, they might melt into more of soup texture in the slow cooker. It will be a tasty soup but somewhat different than this recipe.
Plus, I like being able to saute the onion in the pot before adding the other ingredients. This delivers extra flavor for this simple recipe.
More easy pumpkin recipes
Remember to try out these other easy pumpkin recipes:
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Granola to make your house immediately smell like fall!
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Spinach which makes a delicious fall dinner!
Pumpkin Banana Bread that’s made with gluten-free with oats and no regular flour.
Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup red lentils (dry)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ - ½ cup toasted salted cashews (optional)
- fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook about 2 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Stir in the garlic and curry paste and cook about 1 minute, until the curry paste is fully incorporated.
- Stir in the broth, coconut milk, pumpkin, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and cook on medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until the lentils are cooked but not too soft. Stir occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- During the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, add 2 cups of baby spinach – allowing it to wilt into the curry.
- Serve over rice, quinoa, cauliflower or your favorite base. If desired, add chopped roasted cashews and cilantro to the top for color, flavor, and crunch.
Ash
This recipe has become a permanent staple in my family recipe book. I originally started making it to use up my excess canned pumpkin; now I buy canned pumpkin specifically to make this. It’s quite good as written and I usually have it over rice or with a couple slices of sourdough toast. I have found some alterations that work. For one, I LOVE adding 1-2” of fresh minced ginger with the garlic. It adds a new dimension to the dish and I now regard the ginger as mandatory. Secondly, I’ve been out of coconut milk a couple times and used oat milk (store bought, barista quality) in a pinch – it is just as tasty. When out of yellow onions, I use half a red onion and feel it’s perhaps even better for it. Last, I accidentally left it on the heat longer than usual last time and it thickened into a pastier texture I personally prefer. I’m going to experiment with reducing the liquids to generate a similar result. Major thank you to Ms Marisa Moore for this outstanding recipe.
Donna
Easy and really, REALLY good
Jan
I grow pumpkins and am always looking for ways to use them. This delicious and healthy curry is now one of our favorite meals.
Marty
Really tasty!
Wendy
Lovely! I made some additions based on my own tastes and the comments.
*Added Quorn chicken
*1teaspoon of curry powder (1 less of the red curry paste)
*1tblspn of Sriracha garlic chili sauce
*1tblspn Better than bullion veggie stock
*1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar
*1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
*1/4 teaspoon tumeric
*Ginger zest
Delish!
D G McCauley
Wow just made this. Was so yummy!!
I didn’t put the tomato paste in as my sister can’t have night shades and I didn’t miss it . Didn’t have any cashews and I think I will make sure I have some next time
BRAVO
Carrie Munsell
Love this recipe! Thanks so much!
Laurie
Sounds delicious, making today, have you ever used green curry paste? Does it change the flavor much? Thank you!
Marisa Moore
Hi! I haven’t tried that and recommend sticking with red. For green, I’d be concerned about the color and expect the flavor to be a bit more mild.
Brittany
Just made this, took one bite, and immediately came back to the website to leave a comment. The stuff is amazing and I will definitely be adding this to my favorite recipes list!
Marisa
So happy to hear that Brittany! Enjoy it in rotation!
Jasmine
I added fresh pumpkin with a little extra broth, then frozen spinach and canned chickpeas.. love by both my partner and daughter, thank you!
Hannah
One of my favorite lentil recipes ever- makes a giant batch and freezes super well! Even my carnivore friends love it!
Jenn Peto
Outstanding. My toddler asked for seconds. I call that a win!! We will definitely make again 🙂
Marisa
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for the note!
Kelly
Outstanding! I added ginger as recommended in another review. When finished cooking, I wanted a little extra pop, so added some garlic powder and ginger powder, and WOW! The flavor really popped and was incredible! I made this for Thanksgiving, but will be making this much more often!
Dadi
Made this today delicious. I added spinach after everything else. Lovely and very easy to prepare
Kelly
I’m not sure I have curry paste, but I have powdered curry, Do you have any thoughts on how much I’d need, or if it’ll work? Thanks!
Marisa
Hi Kelly! You can but the flavor won’t be the same. All curry powders are different and the powder will have a stronger flavor compared to the paste. I haven’t tested this but I’d start with 1 teaspoon of curry powder added to the step with the onions.