Lentil Soup
Fresh carrots
Soak the lentils and drain
The finished lentil soup. Yum.
Ingredients
- 500g Lentils
- 2 medium or one large onion
- 4-6 carrots
- 3 pints of water or stock
- Smoked rib (optional)
In the winter there's not much better than a bowl of home-made lentil soup with some freshly baked rolls or bread. In fact there's not much better at any time of the year (at least given recent summers). Forget any notion of soaking and boiling lentils for hours on end, this recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is almost as good as it gets.
Instructions
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Rinse the lentils well in cold water. This is important! If you don't rinse them thoroughly your soup will not have the lovely velvety texture we're aiming for.
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Peel and roughly chop the carrots and onion(s).
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Put the lentils, chopped vegetables and 3 pints of water or stock into a large pot and bring slowly to the boil. The absolute best results will be achieved using the stock from boiling a gammon or ham, but few of us do that these days.
You can use a vegetable, chicken or ham stock cube to provide a bit more flavour, but plain water is fine. Include a smoked rib if you want an even greater depth of flavour. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, or until the carrot is cooked but still firm.
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Allow the soup to cool for 10-15 minutes if possible, then liquidize to a smooth consistency. I use a wand type liquidizer and like a slightly coarse texture with a few chunks of carrot still visible.
Serve with fresh bread or rolls and butter, and season with plenty of black pepper.
Futher Reading
 River Cottage Veg Every Day! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall |  Garlic, Garlic, Garlic: Exceptional Recipes from the World's Most Indispensable Ingredient Linda Griffith |  Preserves: River Cottage Handbook No.2 Pam Corbin |  Cakes: River Cottage Handbook No.8 Pam Corbin |  Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes Jennifer McLagan |
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