Protein-rich pumpkin soup

This is a great option when you are looking for a protein-rich dinner. Make a bigger pot and have some for lunch the next day. If you don’t like tofu, you could add a sliced sausage to it (it’s probably my German roots that make me think of adding sausage to soup!). A good quality chorizo sausage for example, sliced and fried before you add it to the soup, would be delicious.

Ingredients:

Makes 4 serves

• 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp turmeric (or 1 tbsp freshlygrated)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 800g pumpkin, peeled or cubed(butternut or Jap varieties)

• 500ml vegetable or chickenstock

• 1/2 cup dry red lentils

• 400ml coconut milk (could use lower fat version)

• salt & pepper to taste

• 400g tofu, cubed

• 1 tbsp tamari

• 1 tbsp cornflour or arrowroot

Method:

• In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of olive oil orghee.

• Add onion and saute until soft.

• Heat the oven to 200C

• Add garlic, ginger, tumeric and cumin to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes(until fragrant).

• Add stock, pumpkin and lentils. Bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender.

• Whilst the soup is cooking, mix the cubed tofu with 1 tbsp of oil and 1tbsp of tamari, and sprinkle the cornflour on top and mix. Spread on a tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crispy.

• Stir the coconut milk into the soup and blend with a stick blender until smooth (or use a food processor). Season to taste.

• Divide the soup between bowls and top each with the roasted tofu.

  (Adapted from Kira Sutherland)