Pumpkin Lentil Soup With A Maca Boost

This delicious pumpkin lentil soup recipe is perfect for winter, or any time of the year and has all sorts of ingredients loaded into it, to boost your mood and health.

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This recipe is vegetarian, and also gluten and dairy-free.

Maca powder comes from the root of the maca plant, which grows high up in the Andes mountains of Peru. It’s a bit like a turnip and has been used for centuries as food and medicine by the locals. The root is dried and ground into a fine beige powder that you can easily stir into smoothies, porridge, or even coffee.

People love maca* because it’s thought to be a natural energy booster – not the jittery kind you get from caffeine, but a more balanced, steady sort of lift. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium, and it also contains plant compounds that may help support your mood and hormone balance. Some folks say it helps with focus, stamina, and even libido – though science is still catching up with those claims.

The flavour’s a bit nutty and malty, which makes it a nice addition to breakfasts or baking. A teaspoon a day is usually enough to get the benefits. It’s not a miracle powder, but as part of a healthy diet, maca can give you a gentle, natural boost to help you feel more balanced and energised.

Ingredients

2 cups lentils (preferably soaked in water overnight)

6 cups water

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled (or butternut pumpkin)

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ginger powder

2 Tbsp. chopped basil

2 Tbsp. chopped sage

2 Tbsp. maca powder

1 tsp. mesquite powder (optional)

1 head kale, chopped

1/2 tsp (or more) sea salt

pepper, to taste

Method

Add every ingredient except kale to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover. Keep this on the stove for at least a couple hours. The longer the better; the flavours infuse more and more with each minute that goes by.

When you’re getting ready to serve, add the kale. Let the soup heat the kale to the point at which it turns a very pale green, approximately three minutes.

Top your soup with fresh basil and fresh sprouts for some raw goodness and enjoy. You can also freeze this pumpkin lentil soup too to pull out and eat when you need to be really organised.

We also have a dairy free pumpkin soup you might want to try too.