Butternut, Orzo and Chive Medley

Serves 4, generously

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Ingredients

100g orzo pasta

Extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover the base of the pan

1 onion, finely chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

100g red split lentils, rinsed

2 carrots, diced

1 sweet potato, diced

½ butternut squash (approx 500g), diced

150g petits pois

1 x 400g tin haricot beans, drained and rinsed

Small bunch chives, chopped

Pinch of sea salt

Few grinds of black pepper

Method

Leave the lid on at each stage when you are cooking this dish, the steam helps the vegetables cook nicely and more efficiently.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the orzo. Cook according to packet instructions, drain and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Set aside and stir through a good slosh of olive oil.

Put the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a gentle heat and add the onions, garlic and celery, followed by the dried herbs, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir and let cook until soft but not browned. This takes about 10 minutes. If the onions start to stick, turn down the heat and add a splash of water.

Add the lentils and small cup of water, give it a good stir and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. 

Put the carrots, sweet potato and butternut squash into the pan and mix everything together. Add cold water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils and vegetables are soft, this will take about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Take the pan off the heat, remove the bay leaf and blitz with a hand blender until roughly blended. Stir through the haricot beans, orzo and petits pois and return to the heat to bring the soup back to temperature. 

Finally take off the heat, stir through the chives, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.