1/2 medium onion - chopped
3 cloves garlic - chopped
2 stalks celery - chopped
2 broccoli and 2 cauliflower stalks (or other leftover vegetables) - chopped
1/4 teaspoon each dried herbs: sage, thyme, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, black
pepper (or whatever you have or feel like)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups (or 1 medium) yellow fleshed sweet potato (aka yam) - cubed (quite small cubes)
1 cup red lentils
1 cup green or brown Lentils
4 cup stock
1 cup red Wine
2 cup water (or as required)
2 cup frozen chopped spinach
4 tablespoons hemp seeds
Heat soup pan over medium heat and sauté (in oil or water) onion, garlic, celery and stalks until soft.
Add tomato paste and herbs, mix and continue to cook for a few minutes prior to adding the sweet potato and lentils.
Again mix and cook for a few minutes prior to adding red wine and stock. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and simmer for about an hour, adding extra water as required to prevent sticking and maintain a soup like consistency, until lentils and potato are well cooked - the red lentils will have disintegrated into mush and the cubed sweet potato will have melted somewhat into the soup helping thicken it.
I like my soups thick so just add more water if this is too thick for you.
About 10 minutes prior to serving, add the spinach straight from the freezer and turn the heat up to medium. Once spinach is cooked through and soup is bubbly hot, serve in large bowls sprinkled with hemp seeds.
Best served with bread warm from the oven and is hearty enough for a main meal.