David Herbert’s Winter Vegetable Soup and Buttery Crumbs

This hearty winter vegetable soup can be made with whatever vegies you have to hand.

Winter vegetable soup with buttery crumbs. Picture: Chris L. Jones.

You could use pumpkin, chard, cauliflower, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks or Brussels sprouts. The buttery crumbs make a nice topping.

Winter vegetable soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 brown onions, finely chopped

2 sweet potatoes, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 parsnips, chopped

1 red chilli, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ cup dried green lentils

1.3 litres vegetable stock

2 cups milk

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and fry for 5-6 minutes until softened. Tip in sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5-6 minutes, adding chilli and cumin for the final 2 minutes. Add lentils and stock, bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes, until vegetables are tender and lentils are soft. Add milk, and in a food processor or using a stick blender, blitz soup until almost smooth (add a little water, if needed, though it’s meant to be quite thick). Season to taste, then reheat. Ladle into bowls and serve with a sprinkle of buttery crumbs. Serves 4

Buttery crumbs

4 thick slices white bread, crust removed

50g butter

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

25g parmesan, coarsely grated

Make breadcrumbs by pulsing bread in a food processor until rough and coarse. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook onion for 6-7 minutes, until golden. Mix in breadcrumbs and cook, tossing and stirring, until golden and starting to become crisp. Add thyme and parmesan, stir well and remove from heat. Serves 4