Add 2 onions chopped, 5 sticks of celery finely chopped, 2 leeks finely chopped into a casserole dish. Fry until see through. 

Add 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped, handful of mushrooms finely chopped, handful of potatoes chopped, carrots chopped, red cabbage finely chopped and lightly fry.

Add salt and pepper. 

When ingredients are lightly fried, add boiling water (1.5- 2 pints)  and 1 and half cups of red split lentils and simmer with lid on. (Add more lentils for a thicker and less for thinner soup)  Stir occasionally as the lentils will stick to the pan.

Add vegetable stock, herbs, cayenne pepper if you like a little heat, salt and pepper to taste. 

Simmer until the lentils are cooked and the potatoes are soft. Add savoy cabbage finely chopped. Simmer. 

Taste to see if seasoning is sufficient. Add more if needed. And it’s ready! 

Emily adds ’but the main thing is to use whatever is in your fridge – if you have parsnips, turnips and swede they would work a treat!’