Pumpkin & Red Lentil Soup
If you, like me, enjoy pumpkin spice *everything*, then you will LOVE this soup. This protein-packed soup uses the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, with just a touch of maple syrup. And thanks to canned pumpkin, it's a cinch to make! You can also substitute 4 cups of cooked squash or sweet potato, or about 3½ cups of mashed yams or squash in place of the pumpkin. If you have pumpkin pie or apple pie spice blend on hand, use 1 tsp of that instead of the listed spices.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground ginger
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg
- 1 can (28 oz or 796 mL) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- ½ cup (125 mL) red lentils
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
- 4 cups (1 L) low sodium vegetable broth or water
- ½ cup (125 mL) plain Greek yogurt
- Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional), for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for an additional minute. Add cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, stirring to coat.
- Add pumpkin puree, red lentils and maple syrup, then add broth or water to cover. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Greek yogurt.
- This soup can be enjoyed as is, but for a smooth soup, purée using a hand-held immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds before serving.
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