This soup usually makes an appearance over winter with its warming lemongrass and ginger, nourishing coconut milk, and good-for-guts lentils. It\’s easy to do in the pressure cooker.
- 1 large onion, red or brown, chopped
- 1 butternut pumpkin, skinned and chopped
- 3 or 4 tbs red lentils
- 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
- 1 stick of lemongrass, chopped
- 2 cm ginger, chopped
- 2 or so cups of stock (1 stock cube)
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: 1 sweet potato if you want it thicker
- optional: 2 or 3 carrots if you like that flavour
- optional: chilli
- optional: 1 cup of diced bacon (but it\’s fine without it)
- optional: fresh coriander leaves or parsley to garnish
- optional: pasta shells if you like to stir these through the soup for the kids
- Fry the onion, ginger and lemongrass (plus bacon if using)
- Add the main ingredients: coconut milk, pumpkin, lentils, sweet potato and carrot (if using). Add the stock last. The liquid shouldn\’t completely cover the solids because it will probably taste watery if so. The top of the veggies should be above the water line. Keep in mind that the pressure cooker shouldn\’t be more than half full for legumes (though there aren\’t a lot of lentils).
- Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Quick release.
- Use a stab mixer to pulse the soup.
- Season and garnish.