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Lentil Soup

Introduction & method

There's a lot of food poverty in the UK these days and I made a video of this recipe in response to an MP's suggestion that you can make nourishing meal for 30 pence. That's a ludicrous and insulting suggestion, but with this very simple recipe I did manage to get close - 36p per portion including 2 slices of bread and spread. Leaving aside the cost aspect, it's a delicious soup and very easy to make.

Lentil Soup Recipe

Prep


Dice the onion and cut the bacon into small chunks. Top and tail the carrot and cut it into small chunks.

Cook


Heat some oil in a large pan, gently cook the bacon for 2 minutes then add the onion and cook that until softened, another 5 minutes. Add the carrots, cook for 2 minutes, then add the stock, the lentils and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, put a lid on and cook until the lentils have disintegrated and the soup has a mushy texture. Check the soup after 15 minutes and add more water if you need to. Stir in a spoonful of yeast extract (Marmite or similar), or a generous of splash of Worcester sauce / Henderson's Relish or soy sauce. At the end of cooking, check for seasoning again and add more salt if necessary.

Serve with crusty bread and butter.



The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Lentil Soup on YouTube.

 
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Ingredients & Info



 450 grams red lentils
 1 carrot
 1 medium onion
 1 slice bacon
 1 litre chicken stock
  salt to taste
PLUS

A little vegetable oil for sautéeing. Optional, a teaspoon of yeast extract (Marmite or similar) or a generous splash of Worcester sauce or soy sauce.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Serves 6 
Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 50 minutes.
Total time: 55 minutes.