Frugal fun: Bean and vegetable soup

This was something a friend posted on facebook and came from the Martha Stewart site.

I modified it somewhat and here's my modified version.  It's nothing unique but it is very tasty and it makes four very filling portions (too much for me) or seven portions that I could manage in a rushed school lunch period - so that's one to have for lunch and six for the freezer which will do me for the next two weeks as I have soup more or less every other day  That makes it about 20p a portion which is pretty unbeatable really.

Bean and vegetable soup

a splash of vegetable oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small

1 celery stalk, diced small

1 small-ish onion, diced small

scant 1tsp minced garlic (from a jar)

1 teaspoon dried fine herbes

shake of ground pepper

1 tin frugal baked beans with the sauce rinsed off a la Jack Monroe

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 knorr vegetable stock pot

some marigold vegetable bouillon powder

boiling water

a tsp dried parsley

a handful of red lentils

A squidge of tomato puree

Method

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.  Don't forget to stir now and again to prevent sticking.

Add garlic and thyme and season with pepper (I didn’t use or need salt because there was salt in the stock); cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, and parsley and bring to a boil. Throw in the handful of lentils and stir well.

Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, adding more water as needed.  It took about an hour but would be less if you used a pressure cooker.  Check taste and add some marigold powder if needed (I used a heaped tsp).  Add some tomato puree to taste (I used about 1 heaped tbsp).  Simmer for a few more minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed - for me it wasn't.

Serve with crusty bread

It is really very tasty and one could add shreds of ham or some diced chorizo for more ooomph.