I love to make soups, however mine were getting a little too boring. I was using one vegetable, a stock cube, soya cream and an onion. It was time to mix things up.
Crazy Jack Organic Red Split Lentils
I read a book that said if you're a vegan, you should always include a range of vegetables and a source of protein in your soups. Therefore, I used a whole packet of Crazy Jack Organic Red Split Lentils, some brown rice, mushrooms and chopped fresh tomatoes with a stock cube. The great thing about the lentils is that they require no prep- just a quick rinse and you're good to go.
The result? It was very thick indeed but I enjoyed all the different textures it boasted. I set my soup maker to chunky so the rice and lentils were still intact and the tomatoes and mushrooms remained chunky.
I normally set all my soups to smooth, but leaving the vegetables a little more roughly chopped made it heartier and I felt like I had eaten more for my lunch.
One batch made me a meal for each working day (5 portions)- all I had to do was warm it up and serve it with some bread. Perfect for chilly days in the office.
I made it with vegetables from my local fruit and veg shop too. Coupled with organic lentils, I felt much better about my creation as it was all made with fresh, organic produce.
Although it takes a little more time and effort to buy the ingredients and make a soup from scratch, it's all in the taste- you can't get anything like it from the tinned variety.