Pumpkin Stuffed with Lentils, Bacon and Chestnuts

Ingredients

• 250 g dried red beans
• 200 g dried lentils
• 4 small pumpkins
• 100 g bacon strips
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250 g cooked chestnuts (vacuum‑packed)
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the beans and lentils overnight.

2. 2.

   Cut a lid off each pumpkin, remove the seeds and hollow out the pumpkins. Dice the flesh into small cubes. Sauté the bacon strips in hot oil, add the chestnuts and dust with powdered sugar. Lightly caramelize for about 4 minutes, then add the bay leaf and deglaze with vegetable broth. Add the beans and lentils, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes until tender. After about 15 minutes add the pumpkin flesh and continue cooking. If needed, add more broth but only enough so that almost everything is absorbed.

3. 3.

   Place the pumpkins in the oven and warm at around 60 °C.

4. 4.

   Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and cayenne pepper. Fill the hollowed pumpkins and serve.