← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Carrot, diced
• 250 g Swede (rutabaga), peeled and diced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 250 g Red lentils, rinsed
• 2 l ham or vegetable stock
• 250 g cooked ham hock, shredded (optional)
• 1 handful Parsley, chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and soften the onion for 5 min.
2. Add the carrots, swede, potatoes and lentils, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, skimming off any froth.
3. Simmer, part-covered, for 45 min, stirring now and then so the lentils don't stick, until the lentils have collapsed and the vegetables are very soft.
4. Leave it chunky, or mash or blend part of it for a smoother, thicker soup. Stir in the ham hock, if using, and heat through for 5 min.
5. Season carefully (ham stock can be salty) and serve with parsley and buttered bread.

Tips

• Made with vegetable stock and no ham it is vegetarian and vegan; with ham stock or ham hock it is not.
• It thickens as it stands, so loosen leftovers with a splash of water when reheating.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food BBC Food