Culpeper House

Here Lives A Man with a Pan

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Festive Vegetable Soup

Toby

Ingredients

  • 1 Leak
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 Celery Stick
  • 3 Bayleaves
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 1 Can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Can green lentils
  • 1.5Litres Vegetable (or Chicken, Turkey etc) stock
  • 5 cabbage leaves
  • Handful of Cooked Chestnuts
  • Large knob butter
  • Handful of flat leaf Parsley

Method

Make the base: Finely slice a leak, small dice a carrot and a celery stick. Add these to a pan and soften in a little olive oil over a medium heat. When soft, add two finely grated garlic cloves and cook through.

Then add 2 or 3 bayleaves a tablespoon of tomato puree and a can of chopped tomatoes. Reduce the acidity of the tomatoes by adding a teaspoon of sugar. Then add a can of drained green lentils and about 1.5 litres of vegetable (or chicken!) stock. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 20 minutes

When the veg is tender add in a few leaves of finely chopped cabbage. Then season to taste (don’t do this before, as often stock’s vary stock by stock.

To top the soup: Slice a handful of cooked chestnuts, and fry in a large knob of butter. When crisp, add in some chopped parsley

To finish: Thicken the soup by taking a couple of ladles and blending it separately before adding back into the soup. Once at the desired consistency, serve in bowl, with a spoonful of fried chestnuts placed on top of the soup.