Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 200g celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium green capsicum
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 400g lentils, rinsed and drained
• 3 kale leaves, chopped

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add canned tomatoes, carrots, capsicum, bay leaves, oregano and cook for roughly 2 minutes.
4. Pour in vegetable stock and lentils and cook on high heat, until mixture starts to boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes ensuring that the pot is covered to reduce water loss. As the soup cooks, add more water if needed to keep everything covered.
6. Stir in kale and cook for about 5 minutes, until kale is tender and wilted.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Soup is a great meal for busy people. It is a good idea to double the amount you need, then divide into portions and freeze. This way you have ready-made meals during the week when you are too busy to cook. A handy tip to remember is when using canned foods choose ones that have ‘no added salt’ as canned foods often contain high amounts of sodium.