40 Soups - Spicy lentil with pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Since I have been cutting out dairy this new year I am having to challenge myself more in all areas of cooking, without meat and dairy in my diet you would think the options for meals would me more limiting but I am exploring all sorts of new flavours and textures that I never used before.  Soups are no different, I am trying out all sorts of combinations of ingredients, some not so successful (using the pump from the juicer) and others like this, have been a huge success.  I don't mean to blow my own trumpet or anything, but this soup was AMAZING!!  Was pretty chuffed with myself.  It's vegan, super nutritious, high in protein and tastes fantastic. And of course it was dead easy to make.

(photographed half way through eating!)

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

1 red onion,

2 cloves of garlic,

1 courgette,

3 carrots,

1 stock cube,

1 tbs tomato purée,

1/4 tsp harrisa paste,

1/2 tsp mild curry powder,

1/2 tsp ground cumin,

1/2 tsp mustard powder,

1/2 cup red lentils,

1 tbs sunflower seeds,

1 tbs pumpkin seeds.

Gently fry chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, when softened add carrots and courgette, cook on low heat for 10 minutes, add water to cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add purée, paste and seasoning, simmer for 5 minutes.  Blend the soup with a stick blender.  Add lentils and seeds and 1/2 cup water and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until lentils have softened but still have a little bite, add more water if it's getting too thick, it should have a soup like consistency. Eat with crusty bread for a delicious lunch or dinner.