Curried squash, lentil & coconut soup

Curried squash, lentil & coconut soup

Nothing makes a soup silkier than using a squash (or pumpkin) and carrot purée for the base. This soup is given even more body with filling red lentils. I love the fact that it’s a seasonal vegetable soup combined with my favourite comfort food in the world, dhal. It’s rich and creamy, while still being totally vegan and dairy-free. To take it further, I sometimes also toast cumin and pumpkin seeds to scatter over the top.

SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins

COOK 25 mins EASY V G

1 tbsp olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped

200g carrot, finely chopped

1 tbsp curry powder with turmeric

100g red lentils

700ml vegetable stock 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk

small handful of coriander, roughly chopped, to serve naan breads, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sizzle the squash and carrots for 1 min. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the lentils, stock and coconut milk and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-18 mins until all the veg is tender.

2 Pour the soup into a food processor and blitz until it’s the consistency you prefer (you can also use a hand blender). Season, scatter with some coriander and serve with naan breads.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • low fat • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 185 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 5g • carbs 21g • sugars 4g • fibre 3g • protein 6g • salt 0.4g

Chicken noodle & sweetcorn soup

This is a main meal in a bowl, and exactly the sort of thing I make to use up leftover roast chicken. Not a bit of the leftovers go to waste – I pick every last scrap of meat off the carcass and use the bones to make the stock that forms the base of the soup ( find a stock recipe on bbcgoodfood.com). What you put in the soup is totally up to you, but I love thick, slurpy ramen noodles.

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins

COOK 20 mins EASY

700ml chicken stock

3 garlic cloves, halved

4 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to taste

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder pinch of chilli powder

1 tsp sugar (optional)

375g ramen noodles

400g cooked chicken breast, sliced 2 tsp sesame oil

For the garnish

100g baby spinach

4 tbsp sweetcorn

4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved (see tip)

1 sheet dried nori, finely shredded spring onions or shallots, sliced sesame seeds

1 Combine the stock, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, five-spice, chilli powder and 300ml water in a stockpot or large saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins.

2 Check for seasoning, and add the sugar or some extra soy sauce to make it sweeter or saltier to your liking. Cook the noodles following pack instructions. Drain.

3 Fry the chicken in the sesame oil until just starting to brown. Divide the noodles between four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the meat, 25g spinach, 1 tbsp sweetcorn and two egg halves. Strain the stock into a clean pan and return to the boil. Ladle the stock into the bowls, then sprinkle with the nori, spring onions or shallots and pinch of sesame seeds. Allow the spinach to wilt slightly, then serve.

PER SERVING 628 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 3g • carbs 68g • sugars 6g • fibre 2g • protein 51g • salt 4g

tip

Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water and cook for about 6-7 mins. Immediately scoop out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of cold water until they’re cool enough to handle.