Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

High in antioxidants and protein – great for lunch and for batch cooking.

Makes 4 large bowls.

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 2 bags of organic carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 inches of fresh ginger diced
• 250g of dried red lentils
• 1 can of reduced fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Vegetable stock cube
• 1 tsp of chilli powder (more or less to suit taste)
• Sprinkle of Himalayan salt
• Ground black pepper 

Method:

• Heat coconut oil/olive oil in a large pan
• Add butternut squash and carrot chunks and let them sweat for 5-10 minutes (add a drop of boiling water to avoid sticking to the base of the pan
• Add vegetable stock cube to 350ml of boiling water and add this to the pan
• Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes
• Add red lentils, coconut milk and spices to the pan
• Stir well ensuring all lentils and vegetables are covered
• Leave to simmer for a further 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft
• Blend the contents using a hand held blender or food processor
• Top with your choice of chilli flakes, black pepper and pumpkin seeds