Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

Add olive oil, onions, and garlic to a dutch oven or a large pot and place over medium heat. Sauté for about 15 minutes, using water to deglaze the pan as necessary. We want the onions to start to caramelize and turn brown.
Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, coconut milk, red lentils, salt, black pepper, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then remove cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the crispy chickpeas by adding the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, black pepper and smoked paprika to a bowl and mixing until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Place them in an air fryer at 400F and cook for 20 minutes, shaking/tossing every 5 minutes or so.
Remove the soup from the stove and transfer the soup to a blender and blend until creamy – about 1-2 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust for seasonings. This soup is a bit on the thick side, so if you like it thinner, add vegetable broth 1/2 cup at a time (you may need to add up to 1 cup of extra vegetable broth, depending how thick/thin you like it).
Garnish the soup with crispy chickpeas, fresh parsley, and toasted pepitas, or other toppings of choice.