Spiced lentil vegetable soup

Basic vegetable stock

• 90 g onion cut into halves
• 110 g leek white part only, cut into quarters
• 260 g carrots cut into quarters
• 130 g sweet potato cut into pieces (3 cm)
• 120 g celery stalks cut into quarters
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms cut into slices
• 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
• 1300 g water
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper

Spiced lentil soup

• 1 onion (approx. 150 g), cut into halves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 - 2 fresh red chillies deseeded if preferred and cut into halves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 g red lentils rinsed and drained
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes
• 120 g red capsicum deseeded and cut into pieces (1-2 cm )
• 400 g canned mixed beans rinsed and drained (approx. 250 g after draining)
• 60 g kale leaves only (stalks removed) and torn into pieces
• 4 - 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley cut into pieces
• 60 g Greek-style natural yoghurt (optional)