Weekly Lunch: Easy Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup

I opened a giant can of pumpkin puree in order to make my savory pumpkin curry granola bars, so I wanted to incorporate pumpkin into my lunch this week.

Here's a quick and easy soup for those times when you want a hot lunch without a lot of work. The pumpkin doesn't really stand out in this soup, but adds a small amount of sweetness and lots of vitamin A. The tahini makes the soup very creamy - a tasty, vegan, high-protein alternative to actual cream.

Easy Pumpkin Red Lentil Soup
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup red lentils
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds (for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes until well softened. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Rinse the lentils and add to the pot along with the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-25 minutes until lentils are very tender.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and the tahini and heat through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top.

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Question: What is your favorite thing to make with pumpkin puree?