Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup

October 24, 2012

I love pumpkin just as much as the next gal but sometimes I get a little tired of the traditional, tried and true pumpkin recipes. You know—muffins, cakes, pies and cookies. That’s not to say I will not devour these treats and love every minute of it but rather, I want an even larger selection of pumpkin recipes.

This recipe is exactly what I never knew I always wanted.

Yes, there’s pumpkin in it. But more importantly, there’s an amazing blend of spices flavoring each bite. Did I mention how wonderfully creamy and velvety smooth it is? Because it totally is! And every once in a while you get a perfect little roasted pumpkin seed in your spoonful.

Aaron and I were both incredibly happy with the results. I’m pretty sure you will be, too.

Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup dried small red lentils

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup water

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds, roasted

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat your oil in a medium to large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4  minutes. Stir in the broth, lentils, cumin, salt, cinnamon and paprika. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Take your lentil mixture and carefully pour into a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid, cover with a clean dish towel and blend until smooth.

Return lentil mixture to saucepan and add water, pumpkin, ginger and lemon juice and cook until thoroughly heated.

When serving, top soup with yogurt, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

Recipe: Adapted from Cooking Light

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