Lentil and chestnut soup recipe

By Nigella Lawson

This Nigella recipe is taken from the Christmas Special of her Channel 4 programme Nigella Bites. These recipes are simple and stress-free. As Nigella Says: "Christmas food is the best sort of food because it's about proper, unpretentious home cooking. Feasting isn't about formality: it's about providing friends and family with good things to eat."

INGREDIENTS

• 250g red lentils
• 225g cooked chestnuts or 240g tin of
• Clement Faugier vacuum packed chestnuts
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 1 stick celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 1 leek
• 2 tablespoons olive oil/goose fat/butter
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 150ml double cream

How to cook lentil and chestnut soup

1.Finely chop the onion, leek, carrot and celery.

2.Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped vegetables and let sweat and soften in the fat.

3.Add the lentils and stir, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until lentils are very soft (about 30 minutes).

4.Add the chestnuts and simmer for a further 20 minutes or so.

5. Liquidise until smooth adding as much water as you need.

6.Whenever you want to serve it reheat, and sprinkle each full bowl of soup with parsley and lace with cream.