We had our first frosty morning up here in Scotland the other day - absolutely wonderful walking the dogs crunching through the frosty undergrowth before anyone else was up and about with only the odd deer and hare on the horizon.
So...before I started work I whizzed up this delicious, nutritious soup, seriously didn't take long, you can have it made before you go to work ready for coming home or to take with you!
Ingredients :
1 small butternut squash - peeled and chopped into chunks
1 red onion - peeled and diced
2 potatoes - peeled and chopped
Red, orange and yellow peppers - 1 of each - chopped
6 carrots - peeled and chopped into chunks
2 teacups of lentils
Approx 2 litres of chicken stock (amount optional depending on whether you like your soup thick or thin!)
S & P to taste
Optional : 4 tsps of cumin - personally I think this is enough flavour but certain members of my family like everything with a bit of spice so we divide the soup into two pots and then add the cumin to one pot!
Method :
Melt a generous knob of butter with a splash of olive oil in a good sized pan, saute the onion and potato.
Chop and add all the other vegetables
Pop the lid on the pan and over a low heat ’sweat’ the vegetables for a good 10 mins giving the pan the odd shake now and then so nothing sticks to the bottom!
Add the stock, lentils and seasoning and simmer for about 30 mins until all vegetables are soft.
Puree to a smooth texture
Nothing quite like a good homemade soup…