Tomato and carrot soup

ingredients

300ml/10fl oz vegetable stock (made with 1 stock cube)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes
2 large carrots, grated
1 bay leaf
pinch of grated nutmeg
pinch of salt

How to cook ?

• Put all the ingredients except the parsley in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat, part-cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with the parsley.

Vegetable minestrone

ingredients:

pinch of saffron strands
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
600ml/1pt chicken stock
850g/1 3/4 lb canned chopped tomatoes
50g/2 oz frozen peas
50g/2 oz soup pasta
1 teaspoon caster sugar
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to cook?

• Soak the saffron strands in 1 tablespoon boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
• Put the onion, leek, celery, carrots and garlic in a large pan. Add the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, the saffron and its soaking liquid and the peas. Bring back to the boil and add the pasta. Simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
• Sprinkle in the sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Stir through and serve hot.

Beef & lentil soup

ingredients:

300g / 11 oz dried red lentils,
picked and rinsed
225g / 8 oz stewing beef, cubed
1 leek, finely chopped
3 large carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
50ml / 2 fl oz dry white wine

How to cook?

• Bring 1.8 litres / 3 pt water to the boil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the lentils, beef, leek, carrots and celery. Return to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Remove the beef, drain on kitchen paper and brown in the oil in a frying pan over a high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the onions and saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour browns.
• Pour 225ml/8fl oz of the lentil mixture over the onions and stir vigorously. Add the white wine; cook for a further 1 minute. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the lentil mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes before serving.