Jenny's Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Cooking is my way of being creative. There is something satisfying about sharing a home cooked healthy meal with friends and family. Sharing food expresses the love and warmth I feel for others.

Living alone can be hard at times. One way for me to overcome this has been to cook a lot of food so that I can share it. The thought of sharing with my friends takes some of the loneliness away. It also lessens the temptation for me to eat a lot of food when I feel lonely.

This recipe makes a large quantity of pumpkin soup. I often say that I feed the multitudes as I share my culinary creativity with those I love. I hope you, too can share this recipe and any of the others on my site with your friends.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3kg butternut pumpkin cut into 4 cm pieces
• 2 large potatoes cut into 8 pieces each
• 2 large carrots cut into 1 cm rounds
• 1 Medium capsicum thinly sliced
• 1 Large onion thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 3 chicken stock cubes
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Half cup of lentils
• 3 litres of water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Spread all the vegetables over both trays so that each tray has a similar quantity. Pour the four tablespoons of oil over the trays of vegetables, using two tablespoons for each tray and spreading the oil evenly. Place the trays in the oven and cook for half an hour.

Preheat a large saucepan or pan to medium. Add the teaspoon of oil, then the curry powder and chicken stock and heat until the curry’s fragrances are released.

When the vegetables are cooked and cooled enough to touch, place in the hot pan with the spices. Add the water and lentils, then stir the lentils through the mixture. Simmer for one hour so that the vegetables are soft, and the lentils are cooked.

When the hot mixture is cooked, carefully use a stick mixer to blend the vegetables until all the lumps are gone and the soup is an even consistency. Serve while hot.

Notes:

• Pumpkin: I use butternut pumpkin as I find it easier to cut. It also has a sweet taste.
  Oil: use olive oil if you can as it is the healthy alternative.
  Capsicum: I find capsicum adds an interesting flavour to the soup.
  Lentils: lentils add more substance to the soup so that it is filling.
• Add a variety of vegetables to give more flavour. I also add broccolini.
• Lean bacon or ham could also be added to enhance the flavour.