Pasilla Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

If you’re not into the classic “American” pumpkin, consider switching to a Calabaza pumpkin that is super popular in Caribbean Latin cuisine. It’s not as watery and it tastes more like a butternut squash, which makes it a perfect candidate for a pumpkin soup.

This soup is the result of merging two concepts I had been experimenting with. In my freezer, I had a batch of red lentils that I accidentally made too salty, and some frozen Calabaza pumpkin puree. Instead of wasting all of those lentils, I decided to tame the salt by simmering half of them in some veggie stock (unsalted) and stirred in the pumpkin puree for a thickener. A soup was born 

To make this more of a “pumpkin” soup, I puree the lentils so they basically become non-existent and the Calabaza is the star of the show. If you want to preserve more lentil texture, just puree only half of the lentils. I wanted the lentils in there to provide some protein.

You definitely need to watch the heat for this pumpkin soup, at two key points. While roasting the garlic it’s important not to let it get too charred, and while simmering lentils they can scorch easily. Be sure to maintain a gentle simmer and on the lentils and stir them frequently, making sure none sticks to the bottom of the pan.

So let’s talk pumpkin soup garnish. Because calabaza is difficult to quantify and measure out, you might have some leftover pumpkin. Slice them really thin, brush them with some olive oil, season with a dash of salt, and grill them I’m a skillet. It makes a fantastic garnish when served floating on the surface. Cilantro is a classic herb used to help fuse together these Caribbean Latin and Mexican flavors. And here’s a fun fact about cilantro … its origins are not even from anywhere in Latin America. Don’t believe me? Look it up!

Make some Pasilla chile powder

When working with Pasilla chiles, you can control the spiciness by not including the seeds and inner ribs. However, do not discard them. Grind them up in a food processor (reserved just for spices) so you can add some heat to individual servings as desired. I love me some spicy food, but doing this makes everyone else happy. And here’s a tip … to clean your spice grinder, simply grind some rice and it will absorb all flavors, something I learned from America’s Test Kitchen.

Serve some tostones with your pumpkin soup

Twice fried green plantains can really transform this from a snack to a meal. I first learned how to make them from watching Chef Daisy Martinez. Typically they’re dipped in a garlic sauce called “mojo”, but dipping them on this soup  is equally as satisfying. 

Ingredients

For the pumpkin puree:

• 1.8 lbs calabaza
• 2 large (3 small) Pasilla chile peppers
• 6-10 cloves garlic
• 2 cups hot water

For the lentils:

• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 3 cups veggie stock
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• avocado leaf
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1. Cut the calabaza into wedges. Scoop out the seeds and interior “guts” and set aside. Load the calabaza wedges into a steamer and steam until you can insert a fork into the thickest part with no resistance and the skins fall off effortlessly. This likely takes 30 minutes.
2. To roast the garlic you can do it either in a toaster oven, or on a hot skillet. For the skillet method, slice the garlic lengthwise into two flatter halves. Heat the garlic on a medium hot skillet until both sides are browned and cooked in the center. Or, in a toaster oven, simply brush the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and roasted them at 400 degrees until slightly browned, approximately 30 minutes.
3. As steaming and roasting is going on, boil 2 cups of water in a small pot. Meanwhile, cut the Pasilla chile peppers crosswise into 1-inch pieces and add them to the boiling water. If you want a spicy soup, keep the seeds in the bowl. If you want it milder, discard all of the seeds. Once you add the dried peppers to the water, turn off the heat. Let them rest submerged the hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes to fully hydrate. Do not discard the pepper water.
4. Remove the skins from the steamed calabaza. Add the skins and reserved seeds and “guts” to the pepper water, bring to a brief boil, and simmer for 30 minutes. 
   
   

   Simmering the pumpkin skins, seeds and inner “guts” with the Pasilla chile water.

5. Fill a blender, with the roasted garlic, steamed calabaza, hydrated Pasilla peppers, and 1 cup of strained pepper water. Purée this until smooth. Add more pepper water to loosen the puree as needed. Transfer pumpkin puree into a bowl and set aside.
6. To make the lentils, finely dice the onion, and carrot. Sauté them in olive oil over medium heat until the onion is browned slightly. Stir in salt, black pepper, Mexican oregano, and lentils.  Cook a few minutes until the oregano is fragrant.Stir in the veggie stock and avocado leaf, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a brief boil, then simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Allow them to cool.
7. Once lentils are cool, purée them in batches in a blender. If you want to preserve more lentil texture, puree only half. If you want a smoother texture, puree them all.
8. In a medium pot, combine pumpkin purée with puréed lentil soup, and additional one cup of veggie stock, and salt. Bring to a brief boil, then simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Stir in the honey and adjust the salt as needed.

Yield: 6 cups