Velvety Red Lentil Soup - Meat Free Monday

Ingredients

• 70 g chopped leek (white part) or onion
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• a pinch of sea salt
• 200 g peeled and seeded pumpkin or squash wedges cut into 3-4-cm pieces
• 120 g carrot cut into 2-3 cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 dried tomato halves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cooking wine
• 150 g dried red lentils, washed and drained
• 7-cm strip of kombu seaweed
• 1 litre water
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• a little crushed black pepper
• 1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar