Read more: Lentil Pumpkin Soup

My brother in law gave me pumpkins that grew in his garden without him planting it. It was among the last harvest of fall. It was still good and I wanted to enjoy it. Adding chunks of the organic pumpkin to lentil soup was perfect! It added natural sweetness, texture and color to the soup. The pumpkin lentil soup is comforting and a cozy meal to chase away the chill of spring weather that we are in right now but it still feels like winter. It has been stormy and cold here in the Bay Area! This soup is so perfect as it is or enjoyed with a big warm chunk of sourdough bread!

Happy Spring, friends! May your spring season be filled with gorgeous cool days with the most beautiful flowers of every color to surround you (sans allergies! LOL!)!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup French, brown or green lentils
• 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cubed into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• A few tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. When the oil is heated, add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not brown; adjust heat if needed.
3. Add the diced tomatoes with juices, broth, lentils, pumpkins, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils and pumpkins are tender about 30 minutes. (Test the lentils and pumpkins for doneness.) Discard the bay leaves.
4. Enjoy the soup as is or purée some of it for a silkier soup consistency. (See #5.)
5. Optional: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until the broth is slightly thickened while still with chunky pieces of pumpkin and whole lentils. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve.
6. Note: If using common brown or green lentils instead of French lentils, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.