In praise of the humble broth

These bowls packed full of goodness bring deep, rich flavours to the table, says Rachel Allen, who shows us how to comfort both mind and body and restore equilibrium in a truly delicious way

“The amount of flavour in the humble little lentil never fails to impress me”

So we’re finally over the novelty of New Year and its resolutions that will never be kept. Rather than attempting to make extreme changes, now is the time to perhaps introduce a few subtle tweaks that will help our overall well-being — and hey, they might even help the waistline, too.

Chunky broths are a favourite of mine. They’re a great way of packing myriad vegetables and pulses into a bowl. As well as the veggie and bean goodness, you’ve also got the magic of a bone broth. Of course a stock cube will do, but nothing, for me, beats a stock made from chicken, turkey or duck bones.

The amount of flavour in the humble little lentil never fails to impress me. Not only are lentils really economical, as you need just a small amount to make a good portion of soup, they take fewer than 15 minutes to cook. As well as being delicious in themselves, lentils are great flavour sponges, so they love being accompanied by lots of spices and herbs.

The red lentil soup with cumin and coriander, right, is quick, simple and above all, completely delicious. As is the sausage, bean and kale soup, far right. Full of goodness and comfort, it’s like the metaphorical ‘hug in a bowl’.

The lamb and pearl barley broth, also far right, is a simple soup that I find hugely restorative on cold, rainy evenings. The flavours are not necessarily complex, but deliberately soothing and comforting.

This meal-in-a-bowl is a superb way to use up leftover roast lamb or, indeed, any other meat, but if you are starting from scratch and using raw meat, just slice it thinly and give it a couple of minutes more to cook.