Anti-Cough Soup

Sorry, no photo - we ate it too fast! My toddler boy also had fun stirring and pushing the button on the food processor. This soup has lots of garlic and healthy veg, plus some honey, to fight off winter coughs and colds. Kids who normally don't go for watery soups might prefer this one as it's so thick and creamy, but it's also dairy-free. The creamy texture comes from the lentils.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced sweet potato

1 cup red lentils

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 diced brown onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 cups vege stock (I use Massel chicken-flavoured vege stock powder)

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp paprika

Olive oil for frying

Fry the onion in olive oil over medium heat til it starts to brown. Add the celery, carrots, sweet potato and saute til starting to soften and brown. Add the garlic, honey, cinnamon, and paprika and cook for another minute. Add the vege stock and lentils, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until the lentils and vegies are all cooked through.

Let the soup cool a little. Pour the warm (not hot) soup into a food processor and whizz til it's a smooth puree consistency. Return the soup to the saucepan and warm through.

Adults might like a little cracked black pepper for serving.