Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

vegan, gluten free

A recipe part of a series of autumnal, healing recipes alchemised in collaboration with healing nutritionist and holistic health consultant Laura Williams, also known as ‘The Secret Inspirer'.

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Laura helps to elevate this soup with her incredible knowledge of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The roasted yellow/orange root vegetables and red lentils are nourishing, grounding and soothing for the Earth element in TCM and our stomach and spleen. The heating spices help to move stagnant Qi energy and to warm us from within. The turmeric and garlic are immune boosting, particularly beneficial as we transition to the season where colds and flus are more common. The thyme has magical purification properties that contribute to elevating mood, energy and attract prosperity. And the pumpkin seeds, rich in magnesium are great for the lungs, which need extra care during Autumn.

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Makes: 3000ml Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Utensils needed: 1 large baking tray, 1 large saucepan, 1 small-medium frying pan, hand held or high speed blender

• Ingredients

  Soup

  3 tbsp coconut oil

  1kg pumpkin flesh (approx 1 medium pumpkin), peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks

  250g carrots (approx 2 medium), roughly chopped

  1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

  1 onion, diced

  2-3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

  1 tbsp fresh ginger with skin, grated or finely chopped

  1 tsp ground cumin

  1 tsp ground turmeric

  0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

  0.25 tsp ground nutmeg

  200g red lentils, washed and drained

  1500ml vegetable stock

  200ml canned coconut milk

  A generous pinch of black pepper, to taste

  A pinch of sea salt, to taste

  Spiced Seeds

  80g hulled pumpkin seeds

  1 tsp coconut oil, melted

  1 tsp ground cumin

  1 tsp ground cinnamon

  A pinch of sea salt

  A pinch of black pepper

  To Serve

  200ml canned coconut milk

  Spiced seeds (1 tbsp per serving)

  Fresh thyme leaves

  A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

• Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/ 425°F/ gas mark 7.

  2. Place the pumpkin, carrots, and thyme on a large baking tray. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or massage it in with your hands if your oil is solid). Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until tender and golden.

  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan and on a low heat, sweat the onions for 7-8 minutes or until soft and translucent.

  4. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for a further minute, constantly stirring to release flavours.

  5. Add the washed red lentils to the pan and stir to combine.

  6. Pour in the vegetable stock, increase the heat slightly and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils are soft.

  7. To make the seeds, mix all of the seed ingredients in a bowl. Then toast them in a frying pan on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until they start to crack and pop. Set aside.

  8. Once the vegetables are golden and tender, remove them from the oven and transfer them to the saucepan with the stock and lentils. Add a generous pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Cover with a pan lid and simmer for 5 minutes.

  9. Using a hand held blender, blend until silky smooth. I prefer to transfer to a high speed blender but you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender and blitz until smooth. I find that this purees the soup a lot quicker and smoother.

  10. Once the soup is pureed, pour in the coconut milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Reheat if needed and taste for seasoning.

  11. Pour 400-500ml into each bowl, garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk, 1 tbsp of spiced pumpkin seeds, fresh thyme leaves and an optional pinch of chilli flakes.

• Notes

  • Store in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

  • When reheating after being stored in the fridge, you will most likely need to add a little bit of water or vegetable stock to thin out the soup as it will have thickened. Add as much or as little as you need for desired consistency.

  • Please make sure you buy and use culinary pumpkin only. 

  • To reduce waste, you can use the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin to roast and garnish but I would take the time to remove their shells before toasting because they can be quite tough and chewy. I prefer eating hulled pumpkin seeds.

  • You can replace the pumpkin with squash if you prefer. 

• Allergens

  None