Saturday, October 8, 2022

Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup in The Instant Pot


pumpkin soup, vegan, pumpkin puree


What screams fall more than pumpkin and soup? 
(if you are opening this page on your phone, scroll to the bottom of the page and click gluten-free A-Z link to view on the web version which is a much better view)

If you are craving the taste of pumpkin and are in the mood for a bowl of nice warm soup, then you will love this recipe!




It is easy to make, nourishing, and has the deicious fall flavors you are looking for as the leaves on the trees begin to turn beautiful shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns and the weather begins to become damp and cooler. 

mugs with hand painted pottery
I serve fall soup in my colorful fall looking mugs 

The one thing that I look for in a recipe is respect for my time. I don't like making anything that calls for hard to find ingredients or is intricate or very time consuming. 

Hokkaido, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Soup


I'm looking for easy prep, quick cooking, and easy to find ingredients. This seasonal soup recipe meets my criteria. 

I make this soup in the Instant Pot, but you can just as easily make it in a pot on the stove top.

Soup, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Puree

In addition, this creamy soup is gluten-free, vegan, parve, and oil-free making it perfect if you, a family member, or a guest has special eating needs.

Ingredients:
1 16 ounce jar of organic chunky salsa (contains tomatoes, onions, peppers etc.) mild, medium or spicy - your choice
1 can of pumpkin puree (or make your own pumpkin puree-link
or 2 cups of peeled pumpkin, chopped into bite-size pieces 
1 cup of red lentils, washed well
2 cups of potatoes, peeled and chopped into bitesize pieces
1 carrot, peeled and sliced 
1/2 -1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice (start with 1/2 teaspoon)
4 cups of water
4 cups of vegetable broth
Optional: 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds to garnish

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to the liner of a 6 or 8 qt Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook for 11 minutes. When done, allow to sit 5 minutes and then release steam manually according to the manufacturers directions. When all steam is released, remove lid and using an immersion blender blend to desired consistency.  
Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Soup, Hokkaido, Fall, Orange
 Make your own
 Homemade pumpkin puree (link to easy recipe) 

The best pumpkins for puree are a
small sugar pumpkins or one that says "pie pumpkin". 

My Notes: 
No salsa? 
If you don't have or don't want to use chunky salsa in the soup recipe, substitute 1 cup of chopped onions, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 red bell pepper and jalenpeno to your taste. Sauté before adding to the soup.

Make your own pumpkin pie spice mix with the following recipe: 

pumpkin pie spice mix


if you are opening this page on your phone, scroll to the bottom of the page and click gluten-free A-Z link to view on the web version which is much better)

Joining the Weekend Cooking Linky at the Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post every Saturday morning.

31 comments:

  1. The soup looks creamy and soul soothing! Love those colourful mugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Angie- my mugs are special to me- the pottery company stopped manufacturing during Covid- I wish I could get more.

      Delete
  2. This soup looks delicious. I have to try pumpkin in a soup!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marie, I like using a small sweet pumpkin and using chunks . you could even substitute butternut squash- and got similar result.

      Delete
  3. We are fully in soup season here! This looks good and very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Beth. As much as I do enjoy soup all year, fall seems to really beckon me to make soup.

      Delete
  4. I don't use the instant pot, that's a toy my husband likes to use for meals but I can adapt for Dutch oven!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tina, my Instant Pot is my favorite way of cooking just about everything. Once you get the hang of it, which takes just one time- you will love using it.

      Delete
  5. You are so right about pumpkin soup in the fall! I am fascinated by the numerous ethnic and also mainstream cuisines that feature one or more pumpkin soup recipes. Universal!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Growing up I was never a fan of pumpkin but it has grown on me and I do get pulled into the fall pumpkin craze now.

      Delete
  6. That looks like a perfect fall meal to warm you up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is comforting and warming Lori and with our temps dropping into the 40's at night, soup feels good.

      Delete
  7. Pumpkin soup is a favorite of mine. This looks beautiful and I can imagine how wonderful it would be in those beautiful cups.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jeanie. The mugs make me feel good when I use them.

      Delete
  8. I love pumpkin soup but never make it as Dave does not enjoy any form of squashes.
    from Tandy I Lavender and Lime https://tandysinclair.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get it. Albert doesn't eat beets ever- so I never make anything with beets.

      Delete
  9. I love pumpkin soup and yours looks delish!
    So perfect for the season, Judee.

    Hugs and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am excited about the season. Nothing like soup in the fall

      Delete
  10. Where I live, the trees are showing only the barest hint of any color. As much as I love fall, my favorite time of year is actually the time in between Labor Day and full-on foliage season. And this year, it's been lovely. We're only just now getting weather cool enough for light jackets, which always turns my tastes toward a nice, hot soup. So thanks for this timely recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Colorful recipe and ingredients make it sound like it would be so tasty. Will pin this post.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a colorful looking soup recipe. The ingredients sound like it would be tasty. Will pin this post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You won't be disappointed. It is delicious and easy

      Delete
  13. It looks perfect for Autumn! ...delicious!........Abrazotes, Marcela

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always try to come up with a special soup for fall.

      Delete
  14. That first pic says Halloween to me, resplendent in black orange! 🎃 And healthy, to boot. Your collection of fall mugs is charming too. Here's to an autumn full of delicious and nutritious eating!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am completely in "soup mode," and this looks delicious. I don't have an Insta-Pot, but presumably this can be made on top of the stove, just more slowly. I LOVE your mugs. I like having soup in things similar.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ohhh, this sounds like the perfect Autumn soup! Oh and thanks for the recipe for making your own pumpkin spice mix, I am going to definitely do that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is simple to make since it's just a blend of spices.

      Delete
  17. This is such a lovely soup. Thank you so much for sharing on SSPS, I hope to see you again next week. I am featuring you this week!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are appreciated. I love knowing who is stopping by to read my posts! Have a great day.

Printfriendly