1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1 tsp garam masala
/
tsp chilli flakes
150g/5oz red lentils
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained through a sieve and then rinsed
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 litre/1
/
pints hot water
2 good-quality chicken stock cubes
/
tsp sugar
zest of 1 lemon
salt and black pepper
4 tbsp plain yoghurt to serve
coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour
1 Choose a large saucepan with a lid. Cut the bacon into short strips. Heat the oil in the pan on a medium heat, add the bacon and fry until lightly coloured. Add the onion and carrots and fry for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, garam masala and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute or so. Stir in the red lentils.
2 Add the tomatoes, cannellini beans, tomato purée and water. Crumble in the stock cubes and stir well. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time so that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and pop the lid on the saucepan. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the lentils and carrots are tender.
3 Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit, then add the sugar and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
4 Serve in warm bowls. Add a dollop of yoghurt in the middle of each bowl and sprinkle with the coriander.
Green minestrone soup (#ulink_ae428133-6012-524c-a45e-5532c10ddc1b)
This is a really hearty minestrone without the predictable tomato offering, which keeps it looking fresh. The slight crunch of chickpeas gives it a little more bite.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
120g pack of prosciutto (or pancetta), cut into chunks
2 sticks of celery, cut into 5mm/
/
inch slices
400g tin each of cannellini beans and chickpeas, drained through a sieve and then rinsed
3 bay leaves
750ml/1
/
pints chicken stock
125g/4oz dried spaghetti
3 baby courgettes, cut into 5mm/
/
inch slices
100g/3
/
oz green beans
125g/4oz fine asparagus
1 large handful of spinach, washed