Lentil and vegetable soup

Author Notes

I love soups. They are healthy (usually), hearty and satisfying. Especially in cooler weather. I also love them as lunches to take to work as a healthy alternative to cafe food or takeaways. Lentils are a pulse that come from the seed of the annual plant lens culinaris. They have been used in the human diet since the stone age and low in fat, high in protein and high in fiber. Health wise lentils contain a source of cholesterol lowering fiber, help regulate blood sugar and are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. Their iron content is particularly important for vegetarians or anyone suffering from iron deficiency, such as myself. —Jennifer (Delicieux)

Ingredients

• 
  1
  
  onion, diced
  
  
• 
  1
  
  leek, sliced
  
  
• 
  4
  
  cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  
  
• 
  2 teaspoons
  
  dried thyme
  
  
• 
  2
  
  carrots, peeled and diced
  
  
• 
  6
  
  mushrooms, diced or sliced
  
  
• 
  2
  
  stalks of celery, diced
  
  
• 
  1
  
  400g tin of chopped Italian tomatoes
  
  
• 
  1 cup
  
  French green lentils
  
  
• 
  60g
  
  rocket leaves
  
  
• 
  ¹/₄ cup
  
  dill, chopped
  
  
• 
  1.5
  
  litres of vegetable or meat stock
  
  
• 
  1 tablespoon
  
  olive oil