Lentil Soup

Behold the humble lentil, a very worthy legume. It's full of fibre and protein and all kinds of good things. But let's face it, lentils are never gonna make it big in the foodie world.

Take lentil soup for instance. It's unremittingly brown, it's kinda gloopy looking and it's made of lentils - the food of hippies and vegetarians (not that there's anything wrong with that).

This is a bit of a shame. Sure it's not caviar encrusted lobster, but lentil soup is hearty, tasty and comforting. It's exactly the sort of dish I crave at the end of a long cold day. And there are plenty of those at the moment, with the temperature struggling to get into double figures.

What's more it's easy to make. The recipe I use is Italian and is traditionally served in a hollowed out bread roll. I usually don't bother to do this and just serve it in a bowl with bread on the side. Either way it's really enjoyable, I promise.

Lentil Soup

(adapted from Delicious Magazine May 2005)

Rinse 250gm of brown or green lentils. Place lentils, 2 smashed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and 6 cups of cold water in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes or untl the lentils are almost tender.

At the same time, heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 100gm of chopped bacon, one chopped onion and 2 chopped carrots and fry for 10 minutes. Add 400gm of chopped tinned tomatoes. Add to the lentils. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain 400gm of canned chickpeas and add. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until thick and soupy. Serve.