Tasty Vegetable Pumpkin Pea Soup

The cooking time in the recipe header does not include the time required to boil the chicken broth.

Ingredients

• Dried peas (200-220 gr.)
• Pumpkin (800 gr.)
• Tomatoes (2 very large)
• Bulgarian peppers (5 medium)
• Carrots (2 large)
• Onion (2 large onions)
• Garlic (1 large head)
• Chicken broth (optional, low-fat, 800 ml)
• Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons)
• Spices:
• Salt (to taste)
• A mixture of peppers (preferably freshly ground, to taste)
• Smoked paprika (3 tablespoons without a slide)
• Curry (1-1.5 tablespoons)
• Coriander (preferably freshly ground, 1/2 tbsp.)

Directions

1. Let's prepare all the ingredients. Cook the chicken broth in advance or, if it is frozen, defrost it. Rinse the peas thoroughly under cold water until the water stops foaming. Peel onions, carrots and garlic. Wash and dry bell peppers and tomatoes. Peel a piece of pumpkin of the desired size from the peel and seeds.
2. The soup will be much more beautiful and appetizing if the peppers are chosen in brighter colors: red, rich yellow or dark green.
3. Pour the washed peas with room temperature broth and water, salt (if the broth is unsalted) and cook over medium heat until soft. The total amount of liquid and peas should be at least 1/2 of the volume of the pan. If, despite washing the peas, foam forms, remove it.
4. While the peas are cooking, prepare all the vegetables. Bell peppers are cleaned from seeds and stalks. We cut the pumpkin into large cubes, onions, carrots and peppers - into small cubes, garlic - into thin half rings.
5. You can, of course, cook this soup without broth, just on the water. But I still prefer chicken broth. The taste seems to be thicker and more concentrated.
6. cut the tomatoes into large cubes. The weight of one such tomato is approximately 400 gr.
7. In a well-heated pan, greased with olive oil, add the onion and simmer it over medium heat (on my electric stove 5 out of 9) under the lid until translucent, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the carrots to the onion and continue to simmer until the carrots are soft, stirring occasionally.
9. Add garlic, stir and continue to simmer until a light, pleasant aroma of garlic.
10. If necessary, add a little bit of olive oil.
11. Add the bell peppers, stir and continue to simmer until the peppers are soft, stirring occasionally.
12. Add tomato sauce, mix and simmer everything together for another 5-7 minutes.
13. Add the chopped pumpkin, all the spices to the softened peas and continue to cook until the pumpkin is half cooked.
14. Add cooked vegetables and continue cooking. At this stage, we try the broth, if necessary, we straighten it with salt.
15. In a skillet freed from vegetables over medium-high heat (6 out of 9 on my electric stove), simmer the chopped tomatoes. Some of the tomatoes should be completely boiled, some should more or less retain their shape.
16. Add the tomatoes to the pan, stir, bring to a boil (so that bubbles just appear) and immediately remove from heat. Cover with a lid and let steep for 15 minutes.
17. Vegetable pumpkin-pea soup Sprinkle the soup with finely chopped parsley when serving.
18. Very fragrant and attractive in appearance, the soup is also quite satisfying, despite the absence of meat as such and more nutritious vegetables (for example, potatoes).
19. Bon appetit!