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.