Quinoa minestrone

This is a deliciously light and brothy minestrone with a hint of tomato. The sweetness of swede, caraway, carrot and oregano really make this dish. Because this soup is broth-based, the flavour is best with stock, but if you’re looking for something extra subtle to combat excesses then use water and add more herbs to keep it really fresh. I love it when the quinoa is nice and soft and floating in the broth – quinoa is packed with protein, as are the red split lentils, which dissolve quickly to enrich the dish and give it that tomato-y feel. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I sometimes revert to tomato purée.

This recipe is perfect for the lunchbox insulated flask because all the ingredients keep well, despite the heat retention – not such a great plan with soups or stews that include leafy greens, which tend to go mushy and brown with overcooking. The quinoa will continue to swell and soak up that lovely brothy liquid, so it won’t necessarily look the same as when it went in!

Serves 2–3

½ tbsp ghee

½ medium leek, finely sliced

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

¼ tsp caraway seeds

¼ tsp dried oregano

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 large courgette, roughly diced

75g swede, celeriac or parsnip, finely diced

50g (⅓ cup) quinoa, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

25g red split lentils

6 fresh tomatoes, skinned and deseeded (see here), or 2 tbsp tomato purée

600ml (scant 2½ cups) chicken stock or bouillon stock

large pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tbsp tamari (or extra sea salt)

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 In a medium pan, melt the ghee. Sweat the leek and celery with the caraway seeds and oregano until soft.

2 Add the carrot, courgette and other root veg and sweat for a little longer, then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrot loses its crunch and the quinoa is cooked, adding a little more water to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste.