Driving Creek Cafe’s pumpkin and parsley soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium grey-skinned (crown) pumpkin (about 2.6kg skin on), chopped and deseeded
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
• 2 teaspoon vegetable stock powder combined with enough water to cover the pumpkin or enough liquid vegetable stock to cover pumpkin (about 5 cups) (see recipe tip)
• 1 cup split red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian or curly-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
• cream or yoghurt, to garnish (optional)