Red lentil and tomato soup
Red lentils collapse as they cook, so the soup thickens itself with no cream or flour.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 200 g (1 cup) red lentils, rinsed
- 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
- 1.2 litres (5 cups) vegetable stock
- Salt, to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
Method
- Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 8 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin and paprika for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down.
- Blend about half the soup with a stick blender, or all of it if you prefer it smooth. Season with salt and the lemon juice.
Tip: The soup thickens in the fridge. Loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat it.
Chicken noodle soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, left whole
- 1 bay leaf and ½ tsp dried thyme
- 100 g (3½ oz) dried egg noodles
- Salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon
- Chopped parsley, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion, carrots and celery for 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock, add the chicken, bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken reads 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
- Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and remove the bay leaf.
- Add the noodles to the simmering soup and cook for the time on the packet, usually 6 to 8 minutes.
- Return the chicken, season with salt, pepper and lemon, and finish with parsley.
Tip: Noodles keep soaking up broth in the fridge. If you plan leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl.
Beef and vegetable stew
Chuck is a tough, well-marbled cut that turns tender after long, gentle cooking. Lean steak would go dry.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) beef chuck, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes
- 2 tbsp (16 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 litre (4 cups) beef stock
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme and 2 bay leaves
- 3 carrots, cut into chunks
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) waxy potatoes, cut into chunks
Method
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the beef dry and toss it with the flour, salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in three batches, 4 to 5 minutes each, adding oil as needed. Set the browned beef aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift the browned bits. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves and the beef with its juices.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.
- Stir in the carrots and potatoes, cover again and cook for another hour, until the beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning.
Tip: No oven? Simmer on the lowest hob setting with the lid on for the same times, stirring every 20 minutes so nothing catches.
Cooling and freezing a big batch
Divide hot soup or stew into shallow containers so it cools quickly, and get it into the fridge within two hours of cooking. Label each box with the name and date. The lentil soup and beef stew freeze well; potatoes go a little soft but are fine. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. More detail is in the food safety guide.