Recipe: cream of tomato and lentil soup: frugal: leftovers

OK, I have to confess, it's not all leftovers in the sense that I could save the ingredients for something else and the pasata is from tomatoes grown in the garden last summer and frozen (doesn't it seem a long time ago now?) so has a really good flavour but it's all pretty frugal and it's delicious.  There's nothing new or original about it, like most of my recipes, but never mind.  I'm not aiming to make a fortune, just to share my own simple ideas!

It's small amounts because I didn't want to make much but, looking at it, it's going to do two good portions.

Edited to add a photo of lunch.

And very delicious it was too.

Ingredients
about 150 mls pasata (or you could use chopped tomatoes and some tomato puree for the intense flavour)
about 150 mls good turkey stock (or other stock, but I had turkey stock to use up, hence the name)
about 3 inches of leek
one small carrot
one half rib celery
one small potato
some turkey dripping (or other oil/butter)
a little squidge of garlic puree
1 tbsp red lentils
some dried mixed herbs
water

milk/cream to slacken after blending
salt/pepper to taste

Method (conventional)
Peel/chop into dice the leek, carrot, celery, potato.
Melt the fat in a saucepan, tip in the chopped veg and saute gently for about ten mins.  Then add the garlic and give it another minute.
Add the pasata, stock, lentils, herbs and some water to just cover.
Cover, bring to a gentle boil and simmer until all the veg and the lentils are soft.
Puree to a smooth texture or just mash for a rougher texture.

Taste and season.  I didn't add any salt or pepper and it tastes really good and fresh but that's probably the turkey stock and the pasata, both of which were good and strong.  With other ingredients it might need a bit: it is all down to individual taste really.

It will be very thick so just before eating, slacken with some milk or a mixture of milk and cream and bring back to just under a boil.  In its thickened state it would also be nice as a pasta sauce, perhaps with some shreds of cooked meat.

Method (for Thermione)
Cut the carrot, celery and leek into chunks and place in the bowl.
Add the turkey dripping.  Chop on 6 for about 5 seconds.  Push the vegetables down the side.
Cook at 90, speed 3-4, 10 mins, adding the squidge of garlic after 9 minutes through the lid.

Push the veg down again and add the potato cut into dice, the turkey stock, the pasata, the lentils, the herbs and enough water to just cover.
Cook at Varoma heat, 15 mins, speed 2.   Check by mashing a chunk of potato.  If it's a bit hard, cook for another few minutes.

Allow to cool for a short time, then blend on speed 8 for 25 seconds or so, until the desired texture.  Taste and season as above.

If possible, keep it in the bowl and just before eating add the milk or milk/cream and reheat, spoon stir until it reaches 90 before serving.