Place the chopped pumpkin, garlic cloves and quartered onions into a large bowl. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper, and mix to ensure all vegetables are coated.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Pour the pumpkin, garlic and onion on the tray, spread them apart and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Turn the vegetables after the first 15 minutes to prevent them from burning. Once cooked, remove the tray from the oven and set aside.
Cooking the Lentils
While vegetables are roasting, add the water and stock to large saucepan and heat over high heat. Once boiling, pour the red lentils into the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.
Making the Soup
Once the lentils are cooked, add the roasted pumpkin, garlic, onion and sundried tomatoes into the large saucepan. Stir to mix.
Remove the soup from the heat and using a stick blender, blitz the soup until it is thick, creamy, and there are no lumps remaining.
Stir the Italian herbs into the soup.
Serve while hot with a dollop of Greek yoghurt on top and a side of crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Just a word of caution, this soup is deceptive and extremely filling!
Pumpkin - I used a Kent/Japanese pumpkin for this recipe. However, Jarranhdale or butternut pumpkin/squash would work fine.
Sundried tomatoes - I wouldn't recommend adding any more sundried tomatoes as they would overpower the flavour of the pumpkin. If using jarred sundried tomatoes, give them a rinse to get rid of any excess oil or salt before adding to the soup.
Chicken stock - I used the 2 ½ Massel 7's Stock Cubes Chicken Style which are available from both Coles and Woolworths. These stock cubes are also vegan. If using powder, I use the general rule of 1 stock cube = 1 teaspoon of stock powder. The broth should have a slight, but not overpowering saltiness, so I would recommend adding other stock cubes one at a time to achieve this before pouring in the lentils.
Greek Yoghurt - Swap for a plant-based yoghurt to make this recipe vegan.
Storage - Should keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition - Calculated per serving, assuming 6 servings with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.