Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils 4-5 times in cold water and soak in 200 ml of water for 1 hour.

   

2. Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut the carrots into large slices, the onion into 4 pieces, the garlic into halves and the potatoes into cubes. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, peel and chop it.

   

3. Place the bay leaves, black peppercorns, onion, garlic and carrots in the bottom of a pot. Place the pot over low heat and sauté the vegetables and spices for about 2 minutes to give them some flavor. When ready, remove the peppercorns and bay leaves, put them in a separate bag (to make it easier to get them out later), and return them to the pot.

   

4. Add the sunflower oil, some red pepper flakes, and 1.2 liters (5 cups) of water to the pot. Stir and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the water is barely bubbling. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

   

5. After 30-40 minutes, add the diced pumpkin to the soup.

   

6. After another 5 minutes, add the potatoes and soaked lentils (I had almost no water left in the cup where they were soaking). Cook for another 10 minutes.

   At this point, add salt, paprika and more red pepper flakes (I like it spicier) and mix. I also add about 2 grams of fresh ginger root to spice it up (you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger).

   

7. After 10 minutes, check the squash and potatoes for doneness. I do this with a knife: if the knife pierces the vegetables easily, they are done.

   

8. Turn off the heat and remove any extra spices from the soup (I just took out the bag of spices). Let the soup cool a bit (about 15-20 minutes). Then puree the soup with an immersion blender right in the pot.

   

9. The soup is ready! When serving, garnish with a small amount of roasted pumpkin seeds. You can also add some warm cream (10-20% fat). Enjoy!