There are some great soup recipes out there, but the lentil, pasta and vegetable soup recipe is one that you are sure to never forget. It is definitely one of the healthiest soup recipes out there and one of the best things of all is that you can use almost any vegetables you want.

It calls for vegetable stock but you can even make your own if you have the time. You can prepare this dish ahead of time so that all you have to do is reheat it once you are ready to eat it. Leftovers can even be frozen and kept for later use.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 350 g carrot, sliced
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 225 g red lentils
• 600 ml fresh vegetable stock
• 700 ml boiling water
• 150 g pasta
• 150 ml natural low fat fromage frais
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the prepared onion, garlic, carrot and celery, stirring gently, for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the lentils, stock and boiling water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir and bring back to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the lentils are completely tender. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain well and set aside.
4. Place the soup in a blender and process until smooth. Return to a saucepan and add the pasta. Bring back to a simmer and heat for 2 to 3 minutes until piping hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the fromage frais. Season if necessary.
5. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

“Avoid boiling the soup once the fromage frais has been added. Otherwise it will separate and become watery, spoiling the appearance of the soup”.

Most soups are good for you, but the bean and vegetable soup recipe is particularly so. Not only that but it is very easy to make and the leftovers can be saved and then reheated at a later date.

Beans are very nutritious and contain a lot of fiber which is important for the body. Because of this high content of fiber, beans are very filling and so you only need to serve a small portion of this dish to your guests at a time.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 150 ml Italian dry red wine
• 1.2 l fresh vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 425 g mixed beans and pulses
• 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), diced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• salt and pepper
• low fat pesto sauce and crusty bread, to serve

1. Place the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in a large saucepan. Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, vegetable stock and oregano.
2. Bring the vegetable mixture to the boil, cover and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir the beans and courgettes into the mixture, and continue to cook, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato puree to the mixture and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Then heat through, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, but do not allow the mixture to boil again.
4. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top with spoonful of low fat pesto on each portion. Serve the soup accompanied with plenty of fresh crusty bread.

“For a more substantial soup, add 350 g diced lean cooked chicken or turkey with the tomato puree in step 3″.

Fish soup is perhaps one of the healthiest meals you can ever make. It contains many very nutritious ingredients, including fish fillets, tomatoes, prawns, and lemon wedges. The best part of all is that it is so easy to make, and not only that but you can actually freeze the leftovers and keep them for later use.

There are basic spices that you should include such as salt and pepper, bay leaf, onion, and cloves, but you can also personalize this recipe and really make it your own by adding spices and ingredients of your own choice.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 425 ml fresh fish stock
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig each fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano
• 450 g firm white fish fillets, skinned and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 450 g fresh mussels, prepared
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 225 g peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
• Salt and pepper
• Sprigs of thyme, to garnish
• Lemon wedges and 4 slices of toasted garlic bread, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until just softened.
2. Pour in the stock and wine and bring to the boil. Tie the bay leaf and herbs together with clean string and add to the saucepan together with the fish and mussels. Stir well, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and prawns and continue to cook for further 3 to 4 minutes until piping hot and the fish is cooked through.
4. Discard the herbs and any mussels that have not opened. Season and ladle into warm bowls. Garnish with sprigs of thyme and serve with lemon wedges and toasted garlic bread.

“Traditionally, the toasted bread is placed at the bottom of the bowl and the soup spooned over the top. For convenience, look out for prepared, cooked shellfish mixtures, which you could use instead of fresh fish. Simply add to the soup with the tomatoes in step 3″.