Carrot & red lentil soup with herbs

Ingredients

For 2 portions

• Onion1 onion (150 g)
• Olive oil20 ml
• Garlic2 cloves (10 g)
• Vegetable stock780 ml
• Carrots500 g
• Red lentils60 g
• Fresh thyme3 g
• Lemon juice15 ml
• Sea salt3 g
• Black pepper1 g
• Flat-leaf parsley10 g
• Fresh basil10 g

Method

1. 1

   Prepare your ingredients: onion — peel and dice; garlic — peel and crush or finely slice; vegetable stock — make up from a stock cube or pot, or use homemade; carrots — peel and slice into 1 cm rounds; red lentils — rinse well in cold water; fresh thyme — strip leaves from 4–5 sprigs; lemon juice — juice of ½ lemon; flat-leaf parsley — roughly chop; fresh basil — tear leaves.

2. 2

   Warm the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat and soften the onion with a pinch of salt for 8–10 minutes, without colouring.

3. 3

   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the carrots, red lentils and fresh thyme, then pour in 780 ml hot stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing catches.

5. 5

   Take off the heat and cool for a few minutes. Blend until completely smooth, working in batches if needed and holding the blender lid down with a tea towel.

6. 6

   Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.

7. 7

   Taste and adjust with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

8. 8

   Ladle into warm bowls and finish with the flat-leaf parsley and fresh basil and a little olive oil.