I love this soup! It’s incredibly yummy and very nutritious too.
As you’ll see I use a piece of Kombu algae, used in macrobiotic cooking when cooking beans and pulses in order to make them more digestible. Even if you don’t follow the macrobiotic style of cooking I’d strongly advise you to buy a packet of Kombu from your health food shop. It may look a bit pricey but it lasts a long time.
Every time you cook beans or lentils, simply put in a 5cm piece of Kombu then take it out once your stew or soup is cooked. It helps stop the bloatiness and gas they normally cause.
Ingredients
• 1 onion
• 1 cup of pumpkin (cut into cubes)
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of red lentils
• 1 piece of Kombu algae
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Croutons (optional)
Method
• Stir fry the onion and garlic in olive oil
• Add pumpkin, lentils, salt, vegetable stock and Kombu algae. Cook for 15 min on low heat
• Take out the Kombu and mix the remainder in a blender until it’s nice and creamy
• Add lemon juice and serve with croutons
Note
You can make vegetable stock that keeps in the fridge for few days with any vegetable leftovers, except beetroot as it turns it a funny colour!
