Jan's Favourite Lentil Soup

This is an excellent vegetarian soup for lentil lovers. It's so warming for winter meals and can be taken to work in a thermos mug ready to enjoy for lunch. If you don't have brown lentils, use red ones or the French green puy lentils. If you prefer sweet potato, you can swap that for the desiree potatoes. Add extra herbs too if you like and consider topping it with a dollop of basil pesto. Enjoy!

Ingredients
​305g (1 1/2 cups) brown lentils
​1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, coarsely chopped 
2 large desiree potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, coarsely chopped
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
2L (8 cups) low salt vegetable stock
6 slices seeded gluten free bread, crusts removed, cut into 1cm cubes
3 teaspoons balsamic or aged red wine vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Place lentils in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 2 hours to soak (this makes them more digestible and reduces bloating).
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan and then cook the onion, stirring often, for 5 minutes to soften.
3. Drain lentils and add to saucepan with potato, carrot, celery, tomato, garlic, bay leaves, chilli, parsley and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour or until lentils and vegetables are soft.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Spread bread over a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
5. Add vinegar to soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup among serving bowls. Top with croutons and drizzle with oil. Serve immediately

​Serves 4