A delicious hearty soup is great at any time of the year although they are often relegated to only being served in the colder months. That is crazy! People still drink tea and coffee all year round so the fact that it is a hot soup shouldn’t matter at all.

This soup is healthy, it’s budget friendly and makes plenty. You can reheat it for lunch the next day, you can freeze it so you have a quick meal prepared next time you’re in a rush and soup is so much more fun when you serve it with bread or toast that you can dunk into it.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 60 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 200 g dry lentils
• 250 g carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 200 g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cubed
• 400 g potato, peeled, cubed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 litres boiling water
• 1 tsp oil
• salt, to taste (added after cooking)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and make sure all ingredients are fully immersed in the water.
3. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are soft.
4. When cooked, blend until smooth and creamy and add salt to taste.
5. Serve with bread or toast.

Note: You can double this soup and store it in your freezer until required.