Pumpkin, carrot, lentil & ginger soup

1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges

2 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

4 carrots, halved lengthways, roughly chopped

6 dutch carrots, trimmed, fronds reserved

300g Kent pumpkin, seeded, peeled, cut into 3cm chunks

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

1 cup dried red lentils

1.5L vegetable stock

8 sprigs thyme

1½ tsp finely grated ginger

Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

Dry-roasted natural almonds, roughly chopped, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Put onion, garlic, all carrots and pumpkin on a large oven tray. Add oil and turmeric and season. Toss well to coat. Roast for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Set aside dutch carrots on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Transfer remaining roast vegetables to a large, heavybased saucepan. Add lentils, stock, thyme and ginger. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove lid and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

3. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a dollop of yoghurt, dutch carrots, almonds and reserved carrot fronds. Season and serve. Serve chunky or puree!