Healthy Pumpkin Lentil Soup

This summer I spent very little time cooking and baking. For me Fall squashes and pumpkin spice make much more exciting recipes. When Stonyfield asked their Clean Plate Club bloggers to make a recipe using Bob’s Red Mill‘s lentils, I knew I wanted it to use pumpkin, too. 

I eat beans pretty much every day and it’s almost always the kind from a can. As much as I’d prefer cooking my own, it can take a long time and yield way too much beans for one person. These red lentils were perfect because they only took 15 minutes and you don’t have to cook the whole bag all at once.

I liked this soup a little chunky so I didn’t blend up the lentils. For a thick and creamy soup, you could continue blending until smooth. If you want to turn it into more of a meal than a side add a cup and a half of cooked quinoa at the end.

Healthy Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 5-6 servings):

• 1 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill red lentils
• 2 cups vegetarian broth
• 1 can pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup Stonyfield lowfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Method:

1. Cook the Bob’s Red Mill red lentils according to directions on the package.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the rest of the ingredients and blend until emulsified.
3. Add in the cooked lentils and pulse gently until fully mixed. For a smooth soup, continue blending until fully puréed.
4. Pour the soup into a large pot and heat on top of the stove.
5. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.