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.
Emily
I know this is supposed to be vegan but I’m not a vegan lol would adding Turkey burger change the recipe to much?
Marisa
Hi! Maybe you can enjoy a turkey burger on the side but I wouldn’t add it to the dish. The flavors won’t go well together.
Sarah
This is yum, so simple yet so delicious and a great vegetarian option.
Robin
This was so good! It’s really difficult to find pumpkin puree where I live so I used a sweet potato and cooked it in the coconut milk/curry/veggie broth, blended it with a stick blender, then added in the lentils which worked out really well! Just be sure to add a little extra water or broth as sweet potato is a bit thicker than pumpkin puree. I also used kale instead of spinach because that’s what I had.
Carol Killingsworth
Chopped and steamed fresh broccoli which was added along with spinach, adding a bit more texture to the soup. Best lentil soup ever! This will be a regular at our house!
Barbara Baker
How would you suggest cooking using brown or green lentil? I was thinking cooking them partly in broth, and with 15 or so minutes left, add the pumpkin? or would you just add all and cook it longer?
Thank you for the recipe!
Barbara
Marisa
Hi Barbara, Great question. I’d add it all at the same time and let it cook longer. The pumpkin will be fine. I’d just monitor the liquid – adding more broth as needed. Enjoy!
Elizabeth
This was great – the pumpkin and coconut milk make it really smooth and creamy. Thank you! I found this recipe and you through the weekly meal plan on the Kitchn.
Ben
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious and very easy. Next time I might add a little more pumpkin and maybe a handful of raisins for a little sweetness.
Marisa
So glad you enjoyed it! I’m all for more pumpkin and the handful of raisins would be a sweet addition.
Michelle
This looks delicious but I always struggle with recipes based on curry paste. Any tips on brands or ways to select a good curry paste? There is a common one in MN stores that isn’t very good. I don’t need it to be vegan.
Marisa
Hi Michelle! I find that curry paste preference is very personal 🙂 I suggest exploring your local Asian supermarket for the best variety. I often use Maesri brand or Thai Kitchen as a base (though that one is not at all spicy) from the regular grocery store.
Patti
This looks delish!! What size can of pumpkin do you use? Thanks
Marisa
Hi Patti,
For this recipe, I used 1 cup of pureed pumpkin from a standard 15 oz. can. You can absolutely use the whole can but it will change the consistency a bit and you’ll want to add a bit more spice since pumpkin is a little sweet but also bland on its own. Let me know when you give it a try!
Betsy
This is a new favorite. My husband could probably eat this everyday. I’m happy because it’s quick, easy to make, and nutritious. I like it over brown rice. I realized that I add too much pumpkin, but we love it that way so I’ll just continue to make it that way.
Amy
Good basic recipe. I added a little cayenne and some cumin, as well as diced roasted sweet potatoes. The curry is much better the next day. Gives a chance for flavors to meld.
Catharine
This has become a family favorite! My 6-year-old requests it all the time. Thank you!
CHLOE
This was delicious but cooking dry lentils takes A LOT longer than the recipe says.
Marisa
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Chloe! Did you by chance use brown or another type of lentils? The red ones cook up really quickly, 15- 20 minutes tops. The others – brown, green, and especially black or beluga lentils ones take a lot longer especially if they are not presoaked.
Ann
Delicious! I didn’t have any spinach in the house, so I mixed in some steamed green beans and zucchini with rice and covered it with the curry. I will be making this again.
Ann Kling
This was delicious! I didn’t have any spinach, so I mixed in some zucchini and green beans with the rice. I will definitely make this again.