Warming Recipes

 We are right in the middle of the Winter now.  It's a lovely feeling to come home to a warm house, and I  never stop feeling grateful for central heating and micro fiber.
Soups that can be made  in advance or quickly prepared with simple ingredients are ideal for the Winter evenings.
Here is one that is suitable for all the family. Vegetarians and babies too !

Red lentil soup

250 g red lentils -rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 potatoe diced
3 carrots
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomatoe pureè
sour cream(optional

If you are making the soup for a baby (from 8 months), simply put all the ingredients (omitting the Tomatoes) in a saucepan with enough water to cover and simmer until tender. Then whizz in a blender.
Otherwise, like this:-
Gently cook the onion and carrot in a saucepan with a little olive oil or butter,
Add the potato and tin of tomatoes, tomato pureè and the lentils. Stir gently then add water or stock and bring to the boil. Gently simmer until  softened, about 20 minutes. Then, pureè half of the soup and serve with the cream on the top.

In Italy it is considered lucky to eat lentils at New Year.

This soup also contains lentils, but is more spicy.
It is ideal for freezing, so you can double the quantities and freeze half.
Serves 4

2 tsp cumin seeds
large pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
140 red lentils, rinsed
850 ml water or stock
400 g tin of tomatoes
200g tin of chickpeas rinsed and drained
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt to serve

Heat a large saucepan (not non-stick) and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for one minute, until they start to jump around and release their aromas.
Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until lentils have softened.
Whizz the soup with a stick blender and add the chickpeas.

Both soups go really well with just a green salad and crusty bread.

The secret of a really good soup is to put the vegetables chopped up in the saucepan with a small amount of oil and butter, cover the saucepan and let them sort of stew  for awhile without burning, before you add the stock or water.You can stop onions burning by adding just a pinch of sugar,don't know how, but it works.