Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Steps

1. Dice the onion, carrot, celery and potato into roughly 1 cm pieces so they all cook in the same time.

   5 min

2. Soften the onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil over medium heat for 6–7 minutes. Do not let them colour.

   7 min

3. Add the crushed garlic, cumin and thyme and fry for one minute, until you can smell the spices.

   2 min

4. Rinse the lentils under cold water until it runs clear, then add them with the potato, bay leaves and stock.

   2 min

5. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the lentils have collapsed and the potato is soft. Take out the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

   20 min

6. Blend about a third of the soup and stir it back in for a thicker body, then serve with parsley.

   2 min

Serving suggestion

A squeeze of lemon at the table lifts the whole bowl.

Storage

Keeps four days in the fridge and thickens as it stands — loosen it with water or stock when reheating.

Notes

The lentils are the dry weight. They take up about two and a half times their weight in liquid as they cook.