Not everything I cook needs to have an occasion or be all singing and dancing, sometimes its about just simple cooking for myself.  Having some time off this week I wanted something to have in the fridge that I could have for lunch, or as part of dinner, and nothing is as simple to make and have ready as soup.

I love to make soup, its easy to do, its actually quite relaxing and I always make enough to keep in the fridge or freezer.  Today was just a simple lentil soup, but it tastes great, is really filling and has that warming feeling of the kind of food your gran used to make.

Simple Lentil Soup

• 1kg carrots, either diced or grated
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 250g of red lentils, rinsed in cold water
• 1 tbsp marjoram
• 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
• fresh black pepper
• chicken stock (about 1.5 ltrs) (I used 2 chicken stock pots and bit of boullion)
• 300g of turnip/swede in chunks (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot put in a little oil (I used garlic infused  to add an extra flavour) to heat and add the onions and leeks to sweat a little.
2. Add in the carrots, lentils, marjoram and stock.  Grind in a good amount of balack pepper.
3. Bring to a simmer for about 20 mins and your done.

See not the most complex recipe in the world.  Depending on how I feel I grate the carrots (using the food processor) or dice if I want a chunky soup.  I’ll also add in large chunks of swede if I have any in the house which adds a sweetness that goes with the carrots.  If I leave the carrots as chunks I’ll also sometimes take half out, use a stick blender to blitz the the rest and then put it all back together.  This gives you a lovely thick soup with a bit more substance behind it

This is just a base soup, you can vary the veg, add more, add less make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock.  Change the herbs if you want with a bit of thyme or whatever you enjoy.  I love to use marjoram, I add it to stews and soups all the time.  There is lovely savoury /sweet flavour from it that I really enjoy.

I just split into containers and freeze, or keep in the fridge and its ready to have at any time.