August 2010 Archives

Stats

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

1 tin chopped tomatoes
75g chorizo (a picante one is best) sliced and then quartered
150g red split lentils, well washed
2tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
2pts vegetable stock
75g fresh spinach, de-stalked and shredded
1/2tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tbsp of tomato puree
150g potato chopped to 1/2cm cubes
1/2 red bell pepper diced

Method

1. Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions, ensuring they retain a firm texture.
2. Cook the chorizo in a saucepan with the olive oil and garlic until the oil is coloured and the chorizo cooked
3. Set aside the chorizo pieces and cook the onion in the coloured olive oil until softened
4. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, shredded spinach, tomato puree, potato and red bell pepper to the onions and stir in well.
5. Stir in the lentils, add the stock, reserved chorizo pieces and the chilli powder, simmer for five minutes.

Notes

This soup definitely improves as it ages, as with anything with some heat. It’s also entirely customisable how much heat you add to this. I usually add a small splash of a hot habanero sauce just to give it a real kick.

Stats

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 30mins

Ingredients

300g chicken breast, cooked and cubed to 1/2cm cubes
1 large carrot, cubed to 1/2cm cubes
1 Chicken Knorr Stock-pot
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a decent sized saucepan (one that will take a 2 pints of water, plus the ingredients), add the garlic and onion and sweat.
2. Add the carrot and stir round to coat in the oil and heat the carrot through.
3. Add the chicken, followed by the stock-pot, made up with 1 pint of hot water.
4. Use the tsp of dijon mustard to make up another pint of hot liquid and add to the pan.
5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrot is slightly tender but still with some crunch.