Lentil tomato soup with bread

Ingredients

• Red lentils (dry)160g
• Canned tomatoes (canned)400g
• Carrots (raw)150g
• Onions (raw)100g
• Cabbage (raw)200g
• Plain bread (cooked)160g
• Olive oil (raw)15ml
• Salt (dry)3g
• Black pepper (dry)1g
• Recipe water (raw)800ml

Method

1. Sort and rinse 160g red lentils. Cut 150g carrots into 8mm dice and 100g onions into 5mm dice; shred 200g cabbage into 5mm ribbons. Heat 15ml olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Soften onion and carrot for 5 minutes, stirring; reduce heat if onion starts to scorch.
2. Add the lentils, 400g canned tomatoes and 800ml recipe water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and partly cover for 20–30 minutes, stirring the bottom every 5 minutes, until lentils collapse when pressed. If still firm, add a little hot processing water and continue simmering; record added water.
3. Stir in the cabbage, 3g salt and 1g black pepper. Simmer for 5–8 minutes until cabbage ribs are tender. The soup should pour from a ladle; add a little processing water if it has become a paste.
4. Serve the soup with 160g plain bread on the side. If this is a late-week prep dinner, portion and freeze the soup promptly on preparation day; keep the bread separate until the dinner.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 serving use a small covered pot and check liquid early; for 2 use the stated method. For 4 or 8 use the planned pot-capacity batches and divide every ingredient proportionally. Keep each pot below 80% full. Maintain a gentle simmer and judge each batch by texture, not by multiplying the cooking time. Serve promptly. Cool any extra cooked food in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Keep the fridge at 4°C or below. Reheat cooked leftovers evenly to 74°C, checking several places with a food thermometer. Keep raw garnishes and cold yogurt or tahini sauces separate and use them cold within their label limits.