A Good & Healthy Way To Warm Your Tummy | Recipe | Pumpkin Soup With Lentils

      Good grief------it's bitterly cold outside!  Not only is it cold---- it's really blustery as well.  I've heard a few reports that we're going to have another harsh winter this year.   I was hoping that the polar vortex would at least wait until after the new year.   When I went shopping earlier today to buy some winter boots for Erich, I thought the wind was going to knock me over.  I bought a pair of boots [in the size I thought Erich still wears] and when he tried them on this afternoon and they were too small.  He needs to stop growing!  Hopefully, I will be able to find a pair to fit him---it's already slim picking in the boot department!  It's going to snow tonight, but nothing major for us.  It sounds like upstate N.Y. is getting the brunt of it.  I remember when I was a little girl in the mid 1970's we used to get a lot of snow, even before Thanksgiving, so I guess I really ought not be surprised that winter weather has arrived.  After the winter we had last year----I'm already thinking of a warm, tropical escape.

Today was the perfect day to make this pumpkin soup. 

Pumpkin Soup with Lentils

Ingredients:

1   small onion chopped, finely

1   yellow pepper, seeded and chopped, finely

1/2  cup lentils, rinsed and well drained

1   Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1   teaspoons fresh grated ginger root

1   teaspoon curry powder

1   teaspoon ground cumin

32 oz.  chicken or vegetable broth

1   15 oz. canned pumpkin

1/2  teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4   teaspoon ground nutmeg

Optional---1/2 cup half and half

flat leaf parsley for garnish

In a Dutch oven add olive oil and cook onion, peppers and lentil for a few minutes until onion and peppers start to soften.

Wisk in ginger, nutmeg, curry, cumin, stock and pumpkin.

Simmer, covered for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add 1/2 cup half and half if wanted to make creamy.

Garnish with parsley.

       When I prepare this pumpkin soup, I make couple of changes to the recipe. I chopped the onions and yellow pepper finely.  I simmer the soup much longer than the recipe indicates; I like the lentils to get soft and allow all the flavors to marry.  Also, I add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and I make sure to finely grate the ginger.

       I made this soup last fall for the boys and they loved it so much I made it several times over the winter months.  Last night I made a pork loin roast with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  I think this spicy pumpkin soup with ginger, curry and cumin is a perfect accompaniment with the remaining pork roast and a good & healthy way to warm our tummies on a day such as today!  Erich ran in the kitchen while it was simmering on the range and asked if I'm making 'pumpkin soup' and when I said, "yes" he said, "Yay!"  I love the color of it and what is even better---- is that it is low in calories and so full of healthy ingredients.  I'm all about keeping the calories down this time of year [being as we don't get out as much] and with the holidays around the corner---- there are so many high-calorie food temptations to resist. 

I also found some low-cal pumpkin deserts that I want to try soon.  If they taste as good as they look I will definitely post my findings.


Keep warm and stay safe.
                                                         ~Marcie