Discussions

• 

  Linda Speight

  Ingredients:

  I onion finely chopped
  2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  I long stick of celery with leaves finely chopped
  Two large carrots finely chopped
  I piece of smoked bacon chopped into cubes
  Three medium sized potatoes cubed
  One and a third mug of red lentils
  One carton of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
  2 pints of water or ham stock
  1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  About half a tablespoon of olive oil
  1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley
  The juice of half a lemon

  Croutons:

  Three slices of bread (preferably hobz malti) cut into squares
  One large clove of garlic
  A tablespoon of olive oil plus some sunflower oil for frying

  Method:

  First put the chopped onion and chopped garlic in the hot olive oil to soften
  Then add the chopped celery, carrot and bacon and cook together on a medium heat until well sweated
  Then add the lentils and stir well
  Add the chopped tomatoes in jiuce plus the water or stock (if adding stock, then don't add any salt until you taste it at the end as stock can be salty)
  Add the diced potatoes
  Add the ground black pepper
  Stir well and add the stock or water and a good squeeze of lemon juice
  Simmer for about an hour until the soup becomes thick.

  Then in the mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil add the chopped garlic and fry for a short time, then add the squares of bread and fry until golden brown on each side…remove and drain on kitchen paper.

  Next add the tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley to the soup, stir and after a minute turn off the heat…

  Then serve the soup in bowls on a plate with the croutons around the bowl.

  Posted on 23:56 on 17 September