January... and a tomato and lentil soup

So we here we are, a couple of weeks into the new year and, in an effort to cheer up the grey, gloomy weather, I have been cooking all the comfort foods; pasta, soups ....and baking bread.

Looking back through my posts, I realise that soups feature quite regularly, but I make no apologies!

Soups are nourishing, comforting and delicious.

So here is another soup recipe, this time for Tomato and Lentil soup.

I made this soup, first at home and then with a group of children at the Home School club our granddaughters attend. The children were enthusiastic helpers and enjoyed chopping the onion, smelling and grinding the spices and then tucked into a bowlful each, along with some of the parents, around a large table at lunchtime.

On a slightly different note, I have recently become interested in the work of Tim Spector, a renowned scientist who has done a lot of research lately into the gut microbiome and the effects it has on our health. I find it a fascinating topic and one which is gaining more and more emphasis.

He makes lots of interesting points about diet, but the one which has really stuck with me is the thought that to improve our overall health, we should try to consume 30 different plant based foods per week.

This seemed quite daunting, until I realised that plant based foods includes not only fruit and vegetables but also beans, legumes, nuts, seeds herbs and spices making attaining the target slightly easier.

This soup, with its lentils, tomatoes, herbs and spices contributes quite a few to the total.

It is adapted from one of my favourite books  'New Covent Garden Book of Soups'

Here's to a happy and healthy 2023.

Speak soon

Annie

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