Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup

Years and years ago, flicking through an old magazine at Mum and Dad’s (which I can’t imagine finding now as my parents don’t really read magazines), I remember seeing fenugreek powder and fennel seeds in a soup recipe with pumpkin and lentils. At the time having received fenugreek powder as a part of a gift in a kind of food hamper, I was excited to discover a way I could use it. I was probably about 22, still working an office job and hadn’t yet realised how important food would be in my life.

Although this recipe doesn’t contain fenugreek powder as it’s much harder to come by than fennel seeds (which are readily available in supermarkets), I’ve been making what I think is a version of this soup ever since.

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup - Natalie Zee

With only eight ingredients, most of which I usually have at home anyway, and perfect for freezing, this has become a favourite soup of mine over the years (alongside my beloved Minestrone and Carrot & Potato Soup). It’s not Alexander’s favourite so I often make it to freeze in batches, pulling it out when the boys are eating meat. (For those new here, I do not eat meat but I do cook it for them).

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup
(with Fennel)

Ingredients
- 1/2 a small cabbage, roughly shredded
- 1kg of diced pumpkin
- 3 tsp of fennel seeds, ground into a rough powder (I use a mortar and pestle)
- 1 large leek, washed, halved and sliced
- 1 and a 1/2 cups of green/brown lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups of vegetable stock (chicken would also work)
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of olive oil

Method
1. In a large saucepan, cook the leek in butter and oil until it begins to caramelise.

2. Add the fennel seeds and cabbage. Cook, stirring until the cabbage is well wilted (3-5 minutes, for me).

3. Add the pumpkin, lentils, stock and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer>

4. Once the pumpkin is cooked and the lentils are just tender, season with salt and serve immediately.

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup - Natalie Zee

It’s delicious served with fresh crusty bread, but I really would say that of almost any soup.

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup Recipe Card for Pinterest - Natalie Zee

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup- Natalie Zee

You could make it a vegan soup by omitting the butter or using vegan butter, but the butter really does add a delicious flavour to the leeks so unless you’re vegan I would encourage you to use it (adding more wouldn’t hurt, either!).

Let me know if you try it and, well, happy Winter!

Nat xx

GREEN SOUP

Prior to working under my own name, I used to go by ‘Healthy Natty’. I say it like it was 100 years ago but I think it was actually, oh, two?

I changed the name not only because I wanted to be taken more seriously as a photographer and not so much a blogger/influencer (I have no problem with these things, and I am guessing you can be both, now), but also because I hated the connotation of the word ‘Healthy’. I’d started sending back recipes ideas that contained sugar or butter for quotes and, occasionally, get replies along the lines of, ‘Oh, I thought you were ‘Healthy’ ?.

Healthy, to me, has always been as simple as listening to your body.

When my body says, ‘Eat loads of pasta with lashings of parmesan and a big glass of delicious red wine’, I never say no.

When, on a day I planned to do some exercise, my body feels tired and it’s extra difficult to get out of bed, I never ignore it. I would never, on that day, force myself out of bed and into the cold for a run.

And when my body says ‘I think I’d like some green veggies now’, I almost always make a version of this…

GREEN SOUP

Ingredients

- 2 x heads of broccoli, roughly chopped
- 1 small bag of frozen peas
- 1 small bag of spinach
- 2 zucchinis, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1-2 tsps of ground cumin
- 1-2 cups of stock (I used vegetable).
- Greek yoghurt or sour cream, fresh herbs, croutons and salt and pepper to serve

Method

Add all of the ingredients, except the yoghurt, to a pot and boil, lid on adding a little water if needed - but not too much as to not make the soup too watery. Sometimes I do this by accident and scoop a little water out before blending it up, but if you keep the pot on and stir regularly the top veggies will steam as the others boil.

Blend it up, season and serve with yoghurt, cream, fresh herbs or as I have here, crumbled mini-toasts in the absence of croutons (I love using left over mini toasts or crackers for this as to not waste them).

Variations
- Fresh herbs like basil, parsley and mint are delicious. I don’t add cumin when using fresh herbs (and with basil a few black olives thrown in is super tasty).
- If you have asparagus, green beans, frozen green veg or even lettuce - throw it in. This is the best soup for those vegetables from 3 weeks ago when you swore you’d eat more green veg… cauli works well, too.
- Parmesan, chilli or lemon (or combined!) stirred through at the end is delicious!

I hope, on those ‘I need more veggies’ days, you find this as nourishing as I do.


And before I leave I want to mention that listening to my body, to me, is not just about the physical but SO much about the mental and emotional. Not just where food is concerned (I truly believe a big bowl of pasta helps both my mental and emotional health, too), but, especially since becoming a Mum and through this insane pandemic, I’ve found it really important to stop listening to what everyone else thinks I should be doing for my health (Face masks! Exercise gently! Read more! Yoga!), and look inside myself for what I need.

Sometimes, what I need, is help figuring what I need out, and that’s OK. But I no longer find it OK to be told, by anyone, what it is I need for my own health.

Does that make sense?

I hope so.

Nat x

'MINESTRA'

I love Minestrone.  When I was a child, I am told I would eat two big bowls of it (while my little brother had to be distracted by playing with boats in a water tub because he hated all things except peanut butter sandwiches without crusts and mashed potato).  As an adult?  I do the same.

Everyone has their own minestrone recipe, and truthfully, I never do the same thing twice and believe Minestrone can be made out of the vegetables that haven't been used yet at the end of the week (I endorse this fully, less waste!), but this recipe is my ideal situation and my perfect mix.

The only 100% necessary constant for me?  Pumpkin.  And the soup MUST be cooked until the pumpkin has disintegrated to make it thick and decadent.

Yes, vegetables in soup is decadent to me.  

So here it is - my Minestrone, or, as Nonna calls it, 'Minestra'

(stay tuned for the behind the scenes snaps & styling tips at the bottom).

The best part about Minestrone?  

It's all chop-chop-chop and throw in a pot.

NATALIE'S MINESTRA

You will need;
- 1/2 a medium sized pumpkin, chopped into small-ish cubes
- 1 large white potato, diced larger than the pumpkin
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 1/4 of a cabbage, shredded roughly (with a knife will do)
- 1 head of broccoli, chopped roughly (including stem)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 can of the best quality crushed tomatoes you can get
- About 150gms of pasta of your choice (my choice?  Always thin spaghetti).
- 1 can of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Fresh herbs (oregano or basil) or dried oregano.
- Parmesan cheese, and the rind if possible (or this is a great time to use that left over rind).

To make it;
1. Pop all of the ingredients except for the chickpeas and pasta in a pot and top with water.  Include your parmesan rind too, if you have one.

2.  Bring to the boil and then simmer - most likely for about 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin is mushy (important!).

3.  Add the chickpeas and pasta (and a little extra water, if needed, as the pasta will absorb a lot), and cook until the pasta is al dente (or, 'all dental', if my spell check is to be trusted).

4.  To serve, season to taste and top with even more parmesan cheese, grated on top.

(My Nonna likes to make it with a fresh chilli inside so the heat works through the soup, which is delicious, but the chillies I have at the moment are too hot for it!)
 

I thought it would also be fun to start sharing a few behind the scenes snaps (just from my phone, nothing fancy), with each post.  So, see below (and you're always welcome to ask me questions via Insta DM or email - natalie@nataliezee.com, and I'll do my best to answer them in future posts).

And finally, as I'm not into eating cold food, and therefore super passionate about photographing food the day after (as this was), my top tip for photographing soup the day after without having to heat it?

Mix extra water through it to get it's warmed consistency before you put it in the bowls, and once it's in the bowl, spray the top with water if anything looks a bit dry.

(I'll be sharing more tips on my newsletter over coming months - if you'd like to be included, head here).

Don't forget to tag me (@natalie.zee) or email me if you give this recipe a try, I'd love to see it & share it on my stories!

And what were the three ingredients not pictured?  Canned tomatoes, cheese rind & chickpeas!

Thanks for reading,

Nat x