Vegan Soup Recipes, Vegan Pumpkin Recipes, Vegan Meal Prep Recipes

Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Apple and Herb Gremolata

Name: Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Apple and Herb Gremolata
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: For the soup:; 1 large onion; 2 garlic cloves; 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger; approx. 1 kg (2.25 lbs) Hokkaido pumpkin (seeds removed); 200 g (7 oz) potatoes (preferably starchy); 1.5 apples; 150 g (5.25 oz) yellow lentils; 100 g (0.5 cup) vegan white wine (or 70 g (0.3 cup) white wine vinegar); 1 l (4.25 cups) vegetable stock; olive oil for frying; salt; pepper; For the herb gremolata:; 30 g (1 oz) parsley; 30 g (1 oz) pumpkin seeds; 1 garlic clove; 0.5 apple; 1 tsp chili flakes; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 organic lemon; salt

A recipe by Anna Germek | Photos by Anna Germek

Autumn is soup season. But why settle for just one flavor when you can have more? That's exactly what we thought when we combined pumpkin and lentils in this ultimate autumn dish. The result is a creamy pumpkin lentil soup with apple for sweetness and a fresh herb and pumpkin seed gremolata on top. In 50 minutes, you'll have a whole pot of it on your table. It's perfect for the whole family or for meal prep.

The Skin Can Stay On

There are plenty of reasons why we love Hokkaido pumpkin (also known as red kuri squash), but here's a big one: it doesn't need peeling. Just scoop it out, cut it into rough chunks, and you're good to go! By the way, we don't peel the apple here either. The soup gets blended anyway, so we save ourselves the effort and the waste.

Which Other Herbs Work in the Gremolata?

Gremolata is a classic Italian seasoning made mostly from finely chopped herbs, and it makes almost any dish better. It's traditionally made with parsley. That's our first choice too, because it's nice and fresh and stays crisp. If you like, you can also mix in cilantro or mint, which each bring their very own twist.

Does the Apple Make the Soup Sweet?

The pumpkin and apple give the soup a slightly sweet flavor. The white wine (or vinegar) and the tangy gremolata balance it out perfectly, though. And if you really can't stand apple, just leave it out.

Do Other Lentils Work in the Soup?

If you don't have yellow lentils on hand, red ones work great too. They get just as soft and taste similar. We haven't tried green or brown lentils here yet, but they'd probably change the flavor quite a bit.

Craving More Cozy Vegan Autumn Stews?

If you like this soup, our vegan lentil stew with sausages, kale stew with seitan and white beans or cozy vegetable stew might be right up your alley too!

Left: All the ingredients are spread out on the table. Right: An apple is being cut on a cutting board.

Left: The pumpkin is added to the pot. Middle: The lentils are added. Right: Water is poured into the pot.

Left: A lemon is being squeezed. Center: Gremolata, unmixed, in a bowl. Right: The gremolata has been mixed.

Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Apple and Herb Gremolata

5 servings

50 minutes

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
approx. 1 kg (2.25 lbs) Hokkaido pumpkin (seeds removed)
200 g (7 oz) potatoes (preferably starchy)
1.5 apples
150 g (5.25 oz) yellow lentils
100 g (0.5 cup) vegan white wine (or 70 g (0.3 cup) white wine vinegar)
1 l (4.25 cups) vegetable stock
olive oil for frying
salt
pepper

For the herb gremolata:

30 g (1 oz) parsley
30 g (1 oz) pumpkin seeds
1 garlic clove
0.5 apple
1 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 organic lemon
salt

Instructions

Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger. Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into rough chunks. Peel and dice the potatoes. Core the apples and roughly dice them. Rinse the lentils.
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until translucent. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, apples, and lentils and let everything cook briefly. Deglaze with vegan white wine (or white wine vinegar).
Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Then simmer over medium heat for 20–25 minutes until everything is tender.
Meanwhile, make the herb gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and roughly chop the pumpkin seeds. Finely grate the garlic and cut the apple into small cubes. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, pumpkin seeds, garlic, apple, chili flakes, olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt to taste.
Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin with a little water if needed.
Divide the soup into bowls and top with the herb gremolata.