Souper veg

A bowlful of sunshine

This recipe is the product of a dismal grey December, a gluttonous Christmas, and the desperate need for something nourishing this January. My body craved vitamins.

I made tonnes to last as lunches for a few days, but if you only want a couple of portions then just reduce the volume of ingredients accordingly.

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The recipe

Makes: 6-8 servings, 3 litres Cooking time: 70 minutes

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 8 large tomatoes

• 3 red, orange or yellow peppers

• 1 red onion

• 2 carrots

• 1 tsp garlic granules

• 2 tsp dried basil

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 red chilli

• 1 tbsp fresh oregano

• 2 vegetable stock cubes

• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

• 1 tbsp fresh basil

• 2 handfuls of red lentils (I didn’t measure, but about 60-70g)

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

• Salt and pepper

Equipment

• Knife

• Peeler

• Chopping board

• Baking sheets x2

• Greaseproof paper

• Saucepan

• Wooden spoon

• Stick blender

• Sieve

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees.

2. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Halve the tomatoes and arrange cut-side up on the baking sheets. Peel the carrot, and then cut it, the onion and peppers into large chunks and scatter across the sheets.

3. Drizzle the veg with oil, and distribute the garlic granules and dried basil.

4. Roast for 30 mins at 150 then increase the temperature to 200 degrees for a further 10 minutes.

5. In that final 10 mins roasting, chop the garlic finely and cook slowly in around a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. After about 5 mins, add a roughly chopped chilli and cook for a few minutes, before adding the finely chopped oregano and cooking for another minute.

6. Remove the veg from the oven. I find that grabbing three corners of the baking paper and bringing them together, allows you to lift and then slide the veg off the paper via the fourth corner straight into the pan in one seamless motion. Stir.

7. Dissolve the stock cubes in 500ml of boiled water and add this to the saucepan. Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Stir.

8. Bring the soup to a boil and allow to bubble for a minute or two.

9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit so that you don’t risk burning yourself with a splash of soup when blending. Once you’re happy it is safe, get the stick blender in and blend until smooth.

10. If at this stage the soup seems a little thick, then add 100-200ml of water. Bear in mind that lentils you’re about to add will soak up liquid.

11. Rinse the lentils thoroughly and drain the chickpeas. Add both. Stir

12. Bring to boil and then turn down the heat to allow it to simmer gently for around 15 minutes.

13. Serve immeditately, with some buttered bread rolls - or allow to cool, refrigerate and then reheat thoroughly for lunches as I did.