Spiced Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

The beauty of autumn is all around, and I couldn't be happier. The first flashes of changing colors have been spotted in some of the trees around town, and the star-filled nights have been the perfect backdrop for cozy bonfires. On top of pulling out all my favorite flannels, I have been searching through my recipe collections for satisfying and seasonal soups. At the same time, we harvested some gorgeous pumpkins and Hubbard squash from the back yard this week, a perfect inspiration for the soup pot. Here the earthiness of black lentils, is balanced with the sweetness of pumpkin. This gorgeous soup, which is an adaptation of a Moroccan recipe, is enlivened with golden turmeric and ground ginger. A dollop of tangy herbed yogurt adds a bright and cool flourish to the top.

Ingredients:

½ pound (1 heaping cup) black or brown lentils, rinsed and picked

over

6 cups water, vegetable stock or chicken stock

1 onion, cut in half lengthwise root end attached

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon turmeric

20 sprigs fresh cilantro, tied in a bunch

Salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

¾ pound pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into

¼-inch dice

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Fresh ground black pepper

½ to 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup plain Greek style yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Juice of half a lemon

Directions:

In a large heavy stock pot or Dutch oven, combine the lentils, water or stock, onion halves, garlic cloves and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the turmeric and the cilantro sprigs. Reduce the heat, season to taste with salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next, carefully remove the onion halves from the pot. Then add the ginger, coriander, carrots, pumpkin, tomato paste, and a crack of black pepper to taste. Return to a simmer, stirring gently. Cover and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 more minutes. When done, remove the cilantro stems, and any large garlic pieces. Stir in the paprika then taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Just before serving stir in the parsley and olive oil, then remove from heat.

While the soup is cooking make the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside. When ready to serve soup, ladle into bowls, spoon a dollop of the herbed yogurt on top of the soup and garnish with fresh ground pepper.

Notes:

This flavorful and nourishing soup makes a complete meal. A wonderful option for a vegetarian feast when made with vegetable stock. You could omit the yogurt sauce to make it vegan, finishing with just a squeeze of lemon juice over the top. Cooking with chicken or turkey stock adds a little more richness.

If you don't have pumpkin, you could use butternut or acorn squash. Sweet potatoes or yams would also be a delicious and colorful substitution.

To elevate the North African inspired spice notes you could crumble some saffron in with the turmeric during first step of the lentil cooking. Ground sumac would also be lovely added at the end as a bright finishing garnish.

Serve this comforting soup with plenty of warm crusty bread for dipping, and perhaps a crisp green salad on the side. Enjoy.