Splash out with soup

SIMPLICITY, even in winter, is everything and nothing hits the spot quite like a hearty bowl of thick, chunky vegetable soup. You can even throw in a few fat lardons of bacon or generous cubes of chorizo to add extra oomph. How delicious does that sound?

I’ve got lots of recipes for winter bean and lentil soups. They are all easy as pie to make and full of inexpensive protein so they taste deeply satisfying. If you do decide to roll up your sleeves to make some, double or triple the recipe, it’ll take exactly the same length of time to cook but you’ll have a fine big pot of soup that will last for several days or can be frozen in batches for another time.

The trick is to freeze it in small portions rather than huge icebergs which are a nightmare to defrost if you are in a hurry. I have lots of small containers that hold generous helpings for two people. This is always a good plan, it doesn’t matter what size your family or circle of friends because small containers can be defrosted quickly even in an emergency, so you are never in a pickle when unexpected guests turn up or if you get caught up in a traffic jam on the way home.