Toasted Pumpkin Seeds:

1. Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the pumpkin seeds, drizzle with the avocado oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and toss.
2. Toast for a few minutes until fragrant and the pumpkin seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.

Red Lentils:

1. Start by placing the red lentils into a bowl and cover with water to soak while you cook everything else. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the soaked red lentils, add them to a pot and cover with water (about 2” above the lentils), and add the bay leaf and kombu (if using). Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the lentils soft. Drain excess water after it’s done if necessary. Take out the bay leaf and kombu and set aside.

Butternut squash soup:

1. Cut off both ends of the butternut squash and slice it in half lengthwise. Be careful! Make sure you have a sharp knife for this. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and carefully peel. Chop the squash in small pieces and set aside.
2. Add the avocado oil to a big pot and heat over high heat. Add the chopped onions and lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, curry powder, and ground cumin. Cook for another 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
3. Add the chopped butternut squash to the pot and cover with boiling water (just enough to cover the butternut squash). Simmer partly covered for 15 minutes or until soft.
4. Add the coconut milk, the chopped cilantro and parsley, and about ½ of the cooked lentils. Blend everything using an immersion blender or ladle the soup into a blender and blend on high. Be careful, I don’t recommend a Nutribullet for this. The soup is very hot and the steam needs to be able to escape while blending.
5. Pour the soup back into the pot, add the rest of the cooked red lentils, and stir.
6. Serve with more chopped herbs if desired and toasted pumpkin seeds.