River Cottage Veg - Puy Lentils and Spinach Soup

Since trying Puy lentils for the first time in a salad recipe from the River Cottage Veg)
 book, I've been sprinkling them on my salads regularly.

Being a big fan of homemade soups, I was doubly drawn to another recipe in the book, "Puy Lentils and Spinach Soup".

I was annoyed not to have all the fresh herbs required (parsley and thyme). Both my plants have died through neglect. I really must make more effort in growing herbs as they are so expensive to buy from the supermarket all the time and in particular parsley is vital for flavour in many recipes.

Instead I used some dried marjoram.

I strongly believe that the key to a tasty and nutritious soup is not overcook or boil it for too long. You really only need to simmer for as long as it takes for the vegetables to cook and this helps maintain flavour, vitamins and colour.

So, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says you should simmer the soup for 25 minutes but as I used my favourite Gourmet Merchant pre-cooked puy lentils, I only boiled the soup for 5 minutes, just enough to soften the carrots but still leaving them with a pleasant crunch. At the point where you add the spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes, I literally stirred them in and turned the gas off. They just need to wilt and don't need to be cooked.

I was really pleased with how this soup turned out. It's really tasty - perfect for a summer's day lunch.