Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Soup
I have had many lentil and vegetable soups in my time, but this one is one of my favourites. Roasting the vegetables first brings the sweetness out of them and adds an amazing flavour to the soup. Packed with protein from the lentils, this soup is clearly a meal in itself.
Ingredients:
1 leek white part only, sliced
300 g butternut pumpkin, peeled and roughly diced
1 parsnip, peeled and roughly diced
2 red capsicum, membrane and seeds removed, roughly diced
2 zucchini, roughly diced
½ cauliflower, cut into florets
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
½ cup red lentils, soaked for 1 hour
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, as required.
Method:
Prepare your lentils by placing them in a bowl and covering with filtered water. Set aside for 1 hour. Rinse lentils after they have been soaked.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Place your leek, pumpkin, parsnip, capsicum, cauliflower and zucchini in a roasting dish. Add the minced garlic and toss to combine. Roast in oven for 1 hour, tossing occasionally so everything cooks evenly.
Transfer your vegetables into a pot on the stove. Add your vegetable stock and lentils. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 20 minutes until lentils are cooked through. Check seasoning and adjust to taste. Add fresh parsley and serve.
Serves 6-8
