Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
2 cups fresh pumpkin, chopped (about 1 small sweet pumpkin)
1.5 cup red lentils (don't worry - you can substitute any lentil if you can't find red. The red lentil simply improves the color of the soup;
however it is advisable to avoid brown lentils - mixing curry powder and pumpkin with brown lentils produces a substance which will not be visually pleasant to the average Westerner
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salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1 - 2 heaping tablespoons Madras curry powder
water as needed
Directions
Place Oil and Butter in a soup pan over med heat. When ready, add garlic, cook briefly until garlic begins to turn golden.
Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until slightly translucent and golden (approx 5 - 10 minutes). Attend carefully to make sure they do not burn.
Add vegetable stock, tomato sauce, paprika, curry powder, and salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil.
Add lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for approx. 20 - 30 minutes (until lentils begin to break down but BEFORE they start to get "mushy"). Add pumpkin. Add water as necessary to maintain a good broth.
Cook for approx 15 - 20 more minutes, until pumpkin has gotten soft and is beginning to disintegrate at the edges. By now, the lentils should be well on their way to "mushy" (red lentils get their faster, brown lentils may need longer to cook). Essentially, you are aiming for something like the consistency of a thin pea soup. However, at this point, its really a question of personal taste, so cook it to a point you are satisfied with, and then enjoy!!
Serve warm! This is an excellent vegetarian alternative to a holiday table!