Lentil, chestnut and pumpkin soup

This dish will be prepared with verdina lentils, a small, green, and flavorful type of lentil originating in France, where it is known as lentille verte du Puy, after the region of Le Puy-en-Velay. In Spain, it is also known as French lentils, although it is also cultivated in Castile and León. These lentils are soft and ideal for soups, creams, and purées; you can also find them in salads.

Combining green lentils with chestnuts and pumpkin creates a highly nutritious dish. Green lentils provide vitamins B, C, and E, as well as minerals, primarily iron, and offer a unique antioxidant benefit. Chestnuts contribute potassium, fiber, and protein with restorative properties, helping to boost your energy, strength, and overall health. Pumpkin , in turn, is a vegetable rich in B vitamins, especially folic acid, and helps to strengthen iron and potassium levels, along with other minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Its properties are primarily cleansing, helping to eliminate intestinal parasites.

READ ALSO: WHAT ARE PILONGA CHESTNUTS?

If you're thinking about starting a weight-loss diet or are simply looking for a recipe to help detoxify your body, lentil, chestnut, and pumpkin soup is ideal. Here's the recipe so you can prepare it today.

RECIPE FOR LENTIL, CHESTNUT AND PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 100g chestnuts
• 150g green lentils
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs of savory
• pulp of 1 tomato
• 150g pumpkin with skin
• water
• olive oil
• salt

Preparation (12 hours soaking chestnuts + approximately 60 minutes of cooking):

1. The night before, wash the chestnuts and soak them.

2. The next day, drain the chestnuts and wash them again.

3. Fill a saucepan or pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the chestnuts and boil them until they begin to soften (approximately 30 minutes). Drain them and set them aside. Once they have cooled slightly, remove any bits of skin.

4. Wash the lentils and cover them with water. Set aside.

5. Peel and chop the onion. Wash the unpeeled garlic cloves, the bay leaf, and the savory sprigs.

6. Put a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot and add the onion, whole garlic cloves, bay leaf and savory.

7. When the onion is translucent, add the tomato pulp and a little salt. Stir and let it cook for a few minutes.

8. Remove the bay leaf and savory (you can leave them until the end of cooking or take them out halfway through cooking).

9. Drain the lentils and add them to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Cover them with water (the water level should be about 2 cm above the lentils). Let it simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

10. Wash the pumpkin and cut it into cubes. Add it to the pot and let it cook for another 15 minutes.

11. Adjust the salt.

12. Finally, add the whole or cut chestnuts and let it boil for another 15 minutes.

13. Serve the soup piping hot. Enjoy!