Winter tomato and lentil soup

As the weather gets colder, I always have soup for lunch. I may be a bit boring but I really do enjoy it and its usually quick and easy to make. I like to add lentils to soup. They just add that bit of body and, of course protein and fibre. You really don’t need bread.

Here is a creamy soup to warm you up. This makes 2 serves.

• 40g red lentils, rinsed

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion chopped

• 1 carrot finely chopped

• 1 stick celery finely chopped

• 100ml tomato passata

• 600 ml vegetable stock

• Bay leaf

• 2 tbsp crème fraiche

• S and p

Pop your lentils in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, half covered for around 15 minutes, until just tender.

Skim the residue off surface as you go, drain and rinse well.

Heat oil in saucepan. add onion and cook for around 8 minutes until softened. Add carrot and celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for a further 3 mins.

Add passata, stock, lentils and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the hear and simmer, half covered for 20 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened.

Transfer the soup into a liquidiser or blender and blend until smooth. Return to pan, season and add crème fraiche whilst heating gently.

Each serving : 12.5 g carbs

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