Whether you’re an all-things-pumpkin enthusiast come October or you are indifferent to the pumpkin craze, you need to give this recipe a try. With pumpkin, butternut squash, red lentils (which are actually orange), and carrots, this soup will also double as an orange day meal. All this goodness gets cooked and pureed into a smooth, creamy fall soup.
In true Featherstone Nutrition fashion, we packed in the protein, so one serving of this soup contains a whopping 25 grams of protein. The protein comes from the red lentils and the bone broth. Both contribute a significant amount of protein, so if you want that protein punch, make sure to use bone broth instead of regular broth. Bone broth contains 8 – 10 grams of protein per cup, while regular broth contains 1 – 3 grams of protein per cup. I used chicken bone broth, but you can choose beef if you like. Another pro tip is that bone broth is much lower in sodium than regular broth. If you want a low-sodium soup, limit the addition of excess salt. If you’re like me and enjoy the flavors salt enhances, add 1 tsp of salt at the end or adjust to your taste preference.
Feel free to top this soup with something crunchy. I’m not sure about you, but when soup is all one texture, I like to break it up with something like pumpkin seeds or some crusty bread. This soup alone is a very balanced option, but consider the suggestions below to make it a complete meal, tailored to your specific training and nutrition needs.
High Protein Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 cups carrots, chopped Approx. 3 large carrots peeled
- 1 cup onion, chopped Approx. 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, pressed or chopped Approx. 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 10 oz bag of frozen butternut squash, steamed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 2 cups dried red lentils
- 8 cups bone broth, chicken or beef
- salt to taste (I added one additional 1 tsp salt at the end)
- optional toppings: pumpkin seeds, greek yogurt, etc.
Instructions
- In a large soup pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots and onions. Cook until soft, around 5 - 8 minutes.
- Add ginger, garlic, salt & pepper. Stir and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Add butternut squash, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and pumpkin. Stir and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add lentils and bone broth. Stir well. Cover soup. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
- Cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
- Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Alternatively, use a stand blender if needed. Stir in 1 more tsp of salt, if you want.
- Top with pumpkin seeds and Greek yogurt. Enjoy!
Notes
