Rustic vegetable soup

• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Easy
• Serves 4

This vegetarian soup is packed with vegetables and lentils – it’s healthy, low fat and full of flavour. To bulk it up, why not add borlotti beans

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 50g dried red lentils
• 1½ l boiling vegetable bouillon (we used Marigold)
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 175g bite-sized cauliflower florets
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ large Savoy cabbage, stalks removed and leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped

Method

STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Add the onion, carrots and celery and fry for 10 mins, stirring from time to time until they are starting to colour a little around the edges. Stir in the lentils and cook for 1 min more.

STEP 2: Pour in the hot bouillon, add the tomato purée and thyme and stir well. Add the leek, cauliflower, courgette, and garlic, bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer for 15 mins.

STEP 3: Add the cabbage and basil and cook for 5 mins more until the veg is just tender. Season with pepper, ladle into bowls and serve. Will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Freezes well. Thaw, then reheat in a pan until piping hot.