This is a great autumnal recipe as it is always best if you can use fresh pumpkin, but you can use pumpkin puree if fresh ones are not available. This will serve about 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Pumpkin or 500g jar pumpkin puree
• 2 Large Carrots
• 1 Stick of Celery
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Cup of Red Split Lentils
• 1 pint Vegetable Stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 1 cup milk/ unsweetened Soya milk
• Sunflower Oil

Directions:

Please ignore this first section on preparing the pumpkin if using puree. Cut the lid off of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Save these and put them to one side. Cut the pumpkin into small chunks about an inch square and put in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with oil and the crushed garlic clove. Put in the oven at 200C for 40 mins.

Remove the pumpkin seeds from the stringy bits and lay out on a baking tray. Put in the oven to dry out for about 10 mins, then sprinkle oil and salt over and leave in the oven for a further 10 mins. Meanwhile, chop up the remaining vegetables and sauté for 5 mins. Then add the pumpkin, the lentils and the stock. Let simmer for 20 mins or until the vegetables and lentils are soft. Remove from the heat and liquidise. Add the spices and the milk and simmer for another 5 mins.

Serve with a few of the roasted pumpkin seeds on sprinkled on top of each bowl.