Yield: 4-6 servings     Prep time: 10 minutes     Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium-large butternut pumpkin

1 large onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 3 inch piece of fresh ginger

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

1 cup dried red lentils

4 cups of vegetable stock

1 400mL can coconut milk

1 400mL can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup coconut yoghurt

1 heaped tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

Fresh coriander for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh limes or lemons to serve

Method

Remove skin and seeds from butternut pumpkin and chop into small 1cm cubes*

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves

Peel and grate the ginger

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, sauté until translucent

Add the garlic and ginger to the pot, stirring for another two minutes

Stir in the curry powder and chilli flakes, allowing to cook for abut 30 seconds until fragrant

Add the finely diced pumpkin to the pot and stir well to coat in the spices

If the mixture is beginning to stick to the base of the pot, add a little of the stock to lift it

Rinse the lentils well and add them to the pot, along with the coconut milk, vegetable stock and diced tomatoes

Bring the mixture to a boil, add a generous amount of the black pepper, and some salt to taste, stir well

Partially cover and allow soup to simmer for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally

The soup is ready once the pumpkin and lentils are tender and turning slightly mushy blending together

Serve soup in bowls, topped with coconut yoghurt, plenty of fresh coriander, lime/lemon juice and a side of fresh bread

Notes

*This soup does not require blending in a food processor, it is therefore very important to ensure the pumpkin is diced small enough that it cooks thoroughly blending into the lentils.

For ultimate freshness, leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 2-3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.