Lentil & pumpkin soup, vegetarian, the eastern way

I want a pocket of luck in my life. Fed up with waiting, I need it tonight.  - Moke, Bygone.

I frequent the natuurwinkel just around the corner from my house.

The natuurwinkel is one of those things that not many foreigners know about. It's where you can find all kinds of funky things, like sushi materials, gluten free foods, a treasure trove of strange and peculiar foods.

It's also sometimes called a reformwinkel, which should be familiar to people who've lived in Germany.

So, a few months ago they had a little tasting session outside on the patio and one of the things I tasted was an awesome lentil and pumpkin soup.

I made it today, and it's my honest opinion that you should make it too.

Lentil & pumpkin soup
Serves 5 - 6 people

1 kilo pumpkin, peeled and cut into pieces
100 g red lentils
1 tablespoon bouillonpowder
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 leek, very finely chopped into rings
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white rice. I used arborio.
1 small can coconut milk
ginger, freshly grated
1 teaspoon red curry paste
chili powder to taste
pepper and salt

1. Place the pumpkin, red curry paste, coconut milk, garlic, ginger and 500 ml of water in a large pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft then puree with a staff blender. You can also just mash it.
2. Rinse the lentils, add the rice and cook with 500 ml of water until cooked through, around 20 minutes.
3. Fry the onion and pepper in a little bit of olive oil until they're soft.
4. Add the lentils, onion and pepper to the pumpkin and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. After you plate the soup add the leeks to each serving.

Go go. Taste the winter!