Ingredients:
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 large orange
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
100g/4oz Red lentils
1.3 litres/2pints Good chicken or vegetable stock
300g/11oz Onion roughly chopped
150g/5oz Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
375g/13oz Pumpkin, peeled & roughly chopped
Method
1. Put all the ingredients except the orange in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently on the hob for 20-25 minutes or until all the vegetables are very tender
2. Leave the soup to cool slightly before pureeing in a blender or food processor.
3. Stir in the grated orange rind and juice and adjust seasoning to taste
4. Tips: Try adding 1 teaspoon of mild curry paste to the vegetables before cooking for a hint of spice. Use butternut squash when pumpkin is out of season or replace some or all of the onion with leeks.
Serve the soup with a little crumbled blue cheese to stir in or for a chunkier soup just puree half and return to the pan.