This is a repost of one of my favorite recipes because it's that time of year again.
Apple Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Okay - so this recipe has pumpkin. I need to keep that rest of the world happy too.
This was a recipe that I debuted here on Yankee Belle as a guest back in 2012, but it's so good and our weather has temporarily cooled down, so before the apples get lost in a deluge of pumpkin, here's a wonderful savory soup.
Apple Pumpkin Lentil Soup
These are the ingredients I started with:
Assembling the ingredients and chopping up the apples is really the
hardest part! After that it’s just a matter of mixing it all together
and letting it simmer.
I dumped in a whole bunch of the spices after that. Sorry I can’t give measurements, I just shook – a lot. Less on the nutmeg because it has a stronger flavor. You can adjust the spices when it gets to the tasting stage so for now, go with less if you don’t like spicy.
Next comes the pumpkin.
Next I peeled and cut up apples. You probably could do it without peeling, but I peeled.
I had a bunch of apples that were starting to go soft so I used about six, but it doesn’t have to be that many. I think I only used three last time. Go with your feelings about apples. For me, you can’t go wrong with lots of apples.
Simmer awhile.
See how specific this is? It really depends on how close you are to wanting to eat. The longer you simmer, the thicker and richer it gets. When you’re about half an hour or so away from wanting to eat, add the rinsed lentils. They absorb a lot of the liquid so this is where you want to check to make sure you don’t have pumpkin apple stew. Add liquid as needed or leave it alone if you like the idea of stew.
I had some pumpkin seeds in the cupboard so I toasted them to sprinkle on top. They added a nice crunch when I was eating.
Enjoy!
This tastes really good with some warm focaccia bread.
PS - you can substitute squash for the pumpkin if you don't love pumpkin.
Now - why eat lentils?
I love this description - Lentils, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. But this is far from all lentils have to offer. Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of seven important minerals, our B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. The calorie cost of all this nutrition? Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up—not out.
This looks so delicious and warming! We had our first frost last night, so now I'm ready for all things apple and pumpkin!
ReplyDeleteFrom your description of the recipe, you are definitely a "seat of the pants" cook! I tend to make soups the same way, but the disadvantage is that if a particular pot of soup turns out super delicious, I don't know if I'll ever be able to replicate it. :)
Didn't have the courage to try this recipe the first time round but I think I should -- maybe this Thanksgiving weekend. I can share it with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteI caught the stupid stomach bug today... or it caught me, so I'm hiding on the second floor, trying to not infect anyone else... but I must be improving because this looks good!
ReplyDeleteCate, I love soups and I must try this. Although I'm a huge (KAV!!!! DON'T LOOK!) fan of meat-based soups, I've had pumpkin soup at restaurants and loved it....
And Kav's Thanksgiving is at a perfect time for Thanksgiving! October, when the harvest is complete.
I've never understood our November date... because even in the South, aren't most things off the fields in late October?
In the meantime, I'm loving this soup!