Poverty Soup

This soup just evolved over my entire life. My mother and grandmother made a lentil and vegetable soup with a ham bone, but as I married a vegetarian, I adapted the soup and made it vegetarian. One of my childhood memories is being sent to the Butcher's shop for a ham bone to make soup with. There was always a little meat on it which was placed in the centre of the table to go with the lentil soup.

Here's my vegie version.

Why the name? Lentil and vegetable soup is probably the cheapest (nutritious) meal you can make. It's packed with nutrients, is very tasty and filling and goes perfectly with my wholewheat cheese scones.{g}

Ingredients are very approximate. It's a forgiving kind of soup!

Poverty Soup
The top 1/3 of a head of celery. You want the leafy bits too.
1 onion
1/2 a butternut squash
About 1/4 of a swede (turnip/rutabaga)
4 carrots
A few potatoes (not shown)
1 cup red lentils
3 pints of good quality vegetable stock. I prefer Marigold.
Chop roughly and throw in a large pot.
Add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the lentils and veg are tender.
There it is!
Perfect combination!
Serves 6.
But if you have a bunch more people coming to dinner, just add more stock and potatoes!