Recipe: Comforting Tomato and Lentil Soup

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I’ve spent most of the last week eating, sleeping, and watching TV by the fire, punctuated by the occasional social gathering and repressed bout of guilt: January 4th would soon arrive and normal service would resume.

The day has arrived and the snow and ice has long since lost its novelty value. I know, it’s tough to be back at work and wean ourselves off the diet of chocolate biscuits and ham. This week, I’m going to make as much healthy comfort food as I can, to help get through the January blues. We’ll also share some great finds for the New Year.

Personally, I’m eschewing resolutions, as I always do. They’re driven by guilt at overindulging and they compound the post-Christmas depression; why would you compound your suffering at the most miserable time of year?

Eat this soup instead. It’s sweet, robust, and earthy with just a slight tang, and it’ll warm you up and make you feel better.

Puy Lentil and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• About 100g Puy lentils
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Around 12 fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• 2 red onions, chopped in half and then sliced into thin strips
• 454ml/ 1 pint of vegetable stock
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A dash of sugar and a dash of balsamic vinegarette
• A handful of fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

• Saute the onions in olive oil with just a small amount of sugar over a medium heat for five minutes, stirring. The sugar will caramelise them slightly. Be sure not to let them burn. Now add the vinagerette.
• Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Now add the puree and stir for a minute, adding some water if it is sticking.
• Now add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, and stock.
• Combine well and cook for about half an hour. The lentils will retain their shape, but they do soak up a lot of liquid during cooking: just add more water if necessary. It won’t affect the flavour.
• Add in the chopped basil and serve.