I crave for this soup, even during the hot summers.  In the winter I make it almost every week.

It is so quick to prepare, economical, no blender, no chopping and you end up with a satiny textured purée – perfection for the month of January.

My Scottish mother-in-law was never too fond of cooking but she made this soup when I went to her home for the very first time in Irvine all those years ago and I loved it so much that she made it for me each time I visited. This is her recipe.

Perfect also for packing to work and reheating in the microwave.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free.

250g orange lentils
1 large potato
1 sweet potato
4 medium carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 vegetable stock cubes
1 large  can chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 litres water, topped up if necessary while it cooks
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In this photo I use tulbaghia flowers also known as posh garnish to garnish

Rinse the lentils. Peel and roughly chop the vegetables. There is no need to soak the lentils overnight and place them in a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil together with the peeled potato, sweet potato and carrots roughly chopped in large chunks. Add the garlic cloves, tinned tomatoes, stock cube and water. The vegetables need to be fully immersed and add more water if necessary.

Bring the pot to a boil and lower the heat. Stir and keep doing this from time to time to make sure the contents do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add more water while it cooks to keep the contents moist and make sure they do not dry up.

Simmer on low heat until the vegetables are fully cooked. Test one of the potatoes with a knife. When the vegetables are cooked, use a masher and mash all the contents thoroughly. You should end up with a creamy and textured thick consistency. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

If the soup is too thick, add more water and reheat. This soup is even more delicious the next day.

Garnish and serve.

This soup has no added fats, is so healthy and wholesome and if you are craving comfort food try this for a healthy option.

Other options and choices –  Serve with

• greek yoghurt
• parmeggiano regiano
• add a can of chickpeas during the last 5 minutes of cooking
• add some pre-cooked quinoa
•  a fresh soft Maltese gbejna
• grated mature gbejna
• chopped parsley
• tulbaghia or other edible flowers
• mixed fresh herbs
• share and tear bread
• fresh mozzarella balls

I use lentils and pulses by Lamb Brand and Filippo Berio Olive Oil by Rimus Trading Agency