Store Cupboard Soup

Beat the cost of living crisis with this cheap but hearty & nutritious soup.

Ingredients (these are approximations. Accurate quantities are not necessary to make a delicious soup.)

2 small to medium onions roughly chopped (if you have leeks, even better!)

3 carrots (diced)

250 gms (6-8oz) sprouts (roughly chopped) (use a cabbage or some other vegetable if you don't have sprouts)

3 medium potatoes (diced)

2 cloves of garlic (I liked to grate my garlic rather than chop it)

1/2 cup of split peas

1/2 cup of green lentils

1 tsp dried Thyme

S&P

1 Tblspn olive oil

You can use croutons or grated parmesan as a garnish when you serve your soup.

(note I only had these ingredients. If you want to use a whole cup of lentils, or chick peas, or real peas, barley, butter beans... really it does not matter. This is a store cupboard soup. This is just the basics you can add more or less or interchange ingredients.

Method

1. heat the olive oil in a large deep pan.

2. Fry off the roughly chopped onions or leeks if you are using them

3. when the onions are translucent, throw in the diced carrots, potatoes and sprouts (this is super easy, no faffing)

4. Stir them all around and cook for a couple of minutes just to amalgamate flavours a bit (don't have the stove on too high so they burn. You don't want them to burn)

5. Stir in which ever dry ingredients you are using. In my case it was the lentils and split peas just to make sure they are coated with oil and all the flavours.

6. Grate in the garlic and stir for about another minute no more, before adding the water.

7. Add enough water to cover the ingredients + a quarter. So they are well covered. You may need to add more water later as the soup thickens. It does not matter if the water is hot or cold when you add it.

8. Add herbs. Dried herbs are fine. I added Thyme as it has a good strong flavour for winter soups.

9. Add salt and freshly groud black pepper to taste (if you have it)

10. Cook for thirty minutes or so. Simmering on a low heat until all the vegetables and lentils are cooked.

11. Ideally leave the soup for longer. An hour or so and let it sit so all the flavours can amalgamate. It often tastes even better the next day. It doesn't need to cook that long it just needs to sit and just let teh flavours develop but of course if you can't wait you can eat it as is.

TIPS

1.Use a potato masher to semi blend your soup so that it becomes thicker. If you must have a smooth soup then of course use a blender.

2. Garnish with croutons, or parmesan

3. For a super rich soup blend until smooth and add cream.

4. for a more grown up flavour add a splash of white wine to the vegetables before adding the water.

5. serve with buttered bread.