Spiced Pumpkin, Red Lentil and Sage Soup with Sourdough Croutons
This soup epitomises Autumn to me with the vibrant orange ingredients, warming tones, and creamy textures. Adding lentils to soup is such a simple and cheap way to inject it with protein and fibre, making the dish even more satiating and nutritious. As the cost of food prices rise, this is a brilliant budget-friendly option without compromising on flavour or quality. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or dividing into batches and storing in the freezer.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2kg pumpkin or squash
4 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
2 small white onions, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2cm turmeric root, peeled and finely chopped
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp round coriander
2 tsp all spice
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
350g red lentils
1.5L vegetable stock
1 can good-quality coconut milk
1 tbsp tomato paste
Method
1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Peel and deseed the pumpkin then cut this into roughly 3cm cubes.
2. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment, add the pumpkin with 2 tbsp olive oil and half of the spices. Toss everything to combine and season and roast for 45 -50 minutes until pumpkin is cooked. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric root, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
4. Next add in the other half of the spices, salt and cook for another 5 minutes being careful not to burn the spices.
5. Pour in the red lentils, vegetable stock, coconut milk and give everything a good stir.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for approx. 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked through. Then add the roasted pumpkin and stir everything well.
7. Allow the mixture to cool slightly then transfer to a high-speed blender (this will need to be done in batches if using a nutribullet).
8. Taste and season if necessary. If the mixture is too thick this can be loosened by adding plant-based milk.
