Lentil and Chestnut Soup

An early-ish Easter egg hunt. A breakfast of scrambled eggs on Sunflower Bread. A trip to the cinema to see Oz The Great and Powerful.  A good book in a quiet corner of the house - in the sun. A store-cupboard soup on a cool Autumn day... I can definitely live with that.



Lentil and Chestnut Soup
slightly adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat
Serves 4

1 small onion
1 small leek
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
225g red lentils
225g canned unsweetened chestnut puree
1 1/2 litres vegetable stock
Cream and parsley to serve

Blitz the onion, leek, carrot and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven and add the chopped vegetables. Season lightly and sweat the onions until softened without letting them get any colour.

Add the lentils, stir, then add the stock. Bring to the biol and simmer until the lentils are very soft and broken down (about 40 minutes). Add the chestnut puree and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Use a stick blender, or pour the mixture into a blender, and whiz until smooth. Add water if the soup seems too thick. Check the seasoning.

Pour into big bowls, drizzle with cream and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crusty bread.