tomato & lentil soup

Soups and cold weather make the perfect combination, they are one of the best, easiest ways to keep you feeling warm – other than extra layers and central heating. It’s important that we listen to our bodies, so when it’s cold outside, I like to eat lots of hot, warming foods. In the summer, I prefer to eat lighter dishes, but when it comes to winter I like to give myself an energy boost, and find ways to bulk up my meals. So when it comes to soup, I try to find an ingredient I can add that can leave me feeling like I’ve had a good meal. With this soup, I turned to lentils. Everyone loves tomato soup, so adding lentils into the mix makes this dish great for winter. Tomato and lentil soup is such a classic, and the lentils really help to fill you up so you can keep feeling your best throughout the day. I chose a few classic flavours of garlic and basil to complement the dish. However, I also think some smoked paprika or chilli would work well in this recipe for that extra kick.

tomato & lentil soup

serves 4

ingredients

5 tomatoes (550g)

1/4 cup (40g)  red lentils

1/4 cup (45g) brown lentils

3 cups (750ml) water

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp yeast extract (marmite)

3 small garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

method

1. Firstly, add the tomatoes into a blender, and blend until broken down. You can blend them for as long as you like, depending on your desired texture. I blend mine fairly quickly, so that there is some small bits of tomato remaining, but you can make yours completely smooth if you like.

2. Pour the tomatoes, lentils and water into a pan and onto a low-medium heat. Allow to simmer. Scoop of any scum that arises in the first 5 minutes or so of cooking.

3. When 5 minutes have passed, add in the tomato puree, garlic, basil, oregano, yeast extract and salt and pepper to taste. Stir, and leave to cook on a low-medium heat for 35-40 minutes. Stir every now and then.

4. When the soup has cooked, and the lentils are soft, remove from the heat and pour into bowls to serve.