This healthy homemade winter vegetable soup is ideal for enjoying when it’s cold outside. Not only is it delicious, but it’s packed with immunity-supporting vitamin C and four of your 5-a-day! Serve with homemade croutons or a slice of Becketts’ bakery granary bread.

You’ll find most of the fresh vegetables you need at our Greengrocers.

Ready in: 45 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the soup

85g dried red lentils

2 carrots

3 celery sticks

2 leeks

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder

1 heaped tsp ground coriander

For the croutons

1 garlic clove

2 slices bread

½ tbsp oil

1 tbsp mixed seeds

1 tbsp parsley

Method

1. Starting with the soup, prepare all the fresh vegetables. Peel the carrots then quarter lengthways before dicing. Slice the celery into pieces then peel and slice the leeks. Finally, use a garlic press to chop the garlic.

2. Tip all the soup ingredients into a large saucepan. Pour over 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir well to combine. Cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are tender.

3. While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. Heat the oven to 220C. Rub the whole garlic clove over both sides of the bread. Roughly tear into chunks and toss with oil, a pinch of salt and the seeds. Spread out on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Mix with the chopped parsley, then set aside to serve with the soup.

4. Once the vegetables and lentils have softened, the soup is ready. If you like a chunky soup, ladle into bowls and eat straightaway. If you prefer a smooth, thickened soup, blitz with a hand blender or food processor. Serve with the homemade croutons.