VEGETABLE SOUP

This is a simple way to use any vegetables that are getting past their best. The end result can be frozen in portions and brought out whenever you fancy some soup.

Ingredients:
1 Leek
5 medium Potatoes
5 Carrots
1 tin Chopped Tomatoes
5 teaspoons Bouillon
2 tbsp Pearl Barley
2 tbsp Red Lentils
½ tbsp Mixed Herbs
1 Clove of Garlic
Any other vegetables you want to use – for example, Green Beans, Broccoli, Onion, Peas, or Cabbage – but, in my experience not Swede, Parsnip or Brussels Sprouts as they seem to ‘turn’ the flavour.
Note you can get Vegan Bouillon so this can be a real vegetarian recipe.

Method:
Peel and chop the vegetables fairly finely.
Bring to the boil 3 pints water.
Add the Bouillon and stir.
Add the tin of tomatoes (or rather the contents of the tin!) and some freshly ground pepper.
Chop the Garlic clove finely and add to the water.
Add the Pearl Barley and Lentils and simmer for ten minutes.
Add the remainder of the vegetables.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and test for taste. Bouillon is salty so it is doubtful that you will need to add salt.
Using as hand blender, thin the soup to your own preference. Be CAREFUL – remember that the soup is almost at boiling point so do not splash your hand. Note that the soup will thicken as it cools so you may want to add a bit more boiling water at this stage. So long as you don’t add too much water it should not alter the taste too drastically.


This shows two different thicknesses of soup according to the amount of blending and additional water.