Lentil soup recipe

Asia and North Africa and is one of our oldest sources of food. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain. Lentils will vary in their lentil soup recipe times depending on their variety and age, so always check the packet. Although lentils can be kept and eaten indefinitely, they are best enjoyed within one year of purchase.

Most commonly, lentils are bought dried and ideally will be firm, clean and unshrivelled. Green and brown: Ideal for warm salads, casseroles and stuffing as they tend to retain their shape after cooking. This makes them the perfect accompaniment to more expensive ingredients such as fish and game, as well as sausages. Red split lentils: When cooked these lentils form a rich purée and therefore are superb for thickening dishes such as soups and casseroles. They are also often cooked with spices to make the Indian dish dhal. Yellow lentils: Also known as yellow split peas. Being quite similar to red split lentils, the yellow variety are used in a similar way and are great for adding colour to winter dishes.