Recipe: Mesmerizing Tinned Tomato, Red Onion & Red Lentil soup (with ham stock & bits or vegetarian alternative)

Tinned Tomato, Red Onion & Red Lentil soup (with ham stock & bits or vegetarian alternative).

You could cook Tinned Tomato, Red Onion & Red Lentil soup (with ham stock & bits or vegetarian alternative) using 14 ingredients and 5 steps. Here is how you create it.

Ingredients of Tinned Tomato, Red Onion & Red Lentil soup (with ham stock & bits or vegetarian alternative)

1. You need 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.
2. Prepare 2 of red onions, chopped.
3. It's 3 cloves of garlic, crushed.
4. You need 2 of carrots, diced small.
5. Prepare 2 of x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes.
6. You need 1 tsp of sugar.
7. Prepare 1 handful of red lentils.
8. Prepare 1 1/4 l of ham stock (use vegetable stock if preferred).
9. It's 1 tsp of dried thyme.
10. It's 1 tsp of dried oregano.
11. You need A few of diced bits of baked ham.
12. It's of Salt.
13. You need of Ground black pepper.
14. Prepare of Crème fraîche (optional).

Tinned Tomato, Red Onion & Red Lentil soup (with ham stock & bits or vegetarian alternative) instructions

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot or large saucepan and gently fry the onions for 3 minutes. Stir only if needed to avoid sticking..
2. Add the garlic and continue frying for a further 2 minutes or until the onions are softened but not burnt. Stir very occasionally..
3. Stir in the carrots, tomatoes and sugar, then the lentils and then the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently but not too vigorously..
4. Reduce to a fast simmer, cover and after 10 minutes stir thoroughly and add the herbs and diced ham. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste but be sparing with the salt in view of the ham stock..
5. Whizz to your desired consistency or, as we do, leave it with the “bits” whole and the soup unthickened and serve piping hot with a dollop of crème fraîche per bowl (optional) and granary bread or a crusty roll..