Robin Ellis

Comfort food par excellence, adapted from  Rose Elliott’s The Bean Book.

This and her nicely-titled  Not Just a Load of Lentils have been friends for years.

for 4

1 onion–finely chopped

1 stick of celery–finely sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

4oz/100gm red lentils–thoroughly rinsed

14oz/400gm tin of  tomatoes with their juice

1 1/2 pints/850 litres vegetable stock (I use organic stock cubes)

juice of half a lemon–more if you like

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon parsley–chopped

Soften the onion and celery in the oil over a low heat.

Add the lentils and turn them in the mixture.

Add the broken up tomatoes and the stock.

stir everything thoroughly and bring to a simmer.

Partially cover the pan and cook until the lentils have melted.

Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Liquidise to a smooth finish and season to taste .

Stir in the lemon juice.

Serve hot in bowls that show off the beautiful colour, with a pinch of parsley in the middle of the bowl.