Friary Lentil Soup

This rustic soup is thick and delicious, takes little time to make and is very cheap to prepare. We often intend to include more pulses and whole grains in our daily diet but fail to do so, this dish has all the elements that we are supposed to eat more of, so go ahead.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery stalks finely chopped
• 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 fat rashers of good bacon rind removed
• 1 400g tin tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 cup uncooked lentils – use red for a thicker quicker soup, brown or green for a more rustic soup
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 1 large sprig of rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A handful of chopped parsley plus extra to garnish

Method

Chop the bacon and into small pieces and preprare the vegetables.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped vegetables, garlic and the bacon pieces and cook gently until the bacon is cooked and the vegetables are beginning to soften.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and pinch of sugar and then mix in the stock. When the stock is simmering add the lentils and rosemary and continue to cook for around 25- 40 minutes stirring frequently to prevent the lentils from sticking.

When the lentils are plump and tender and the vegetables soft, season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.

The cooking time will vary depending on the age and type of lentils you use.

Tip

Lentils provide protein, iron and fibre and contain no fat, they're an incredibly cheap and nourishing addition to our diet.