this recipe was arrived upon when i was trying to get rid of various vegetables a few weeks ago prior to a few days away from the kitchen. i liked it so much i decided to make it as a starter for my folks' wedding anniversary dinner. at this point i changed it slightly again due to availability of veg, and made it taste better. all my best meals are accidents...

1. warm some butter in a pan, then fill the kettle and put it on
2. add half an onion and one leek, both finely chopped, plus a couple of bay leaves
3. allow these to sweat for 5 minutes without colouring too much, stir occasionally
4. chop the following into bite size pieces: 2 small sweet potatoes, 2 medium carrots, 1 parsnip
5. add the vegetables to the pan, and stir in for a couple of minutes
6. crush 2 cloves of garlic into the pan, and stir in for a minute
7. finely slice 2 or 3 sun dried tomatoes and add to the pan
8. season, then crumble two chicken stock cubes into the pan and then add about 2 pints of water and stir well
9. add about two tablespoons of red lentils
10. bring everything to a fast simmer, then reduce to a bubble for about 30-40 mins. check the seasoning after about 20 minutes and adjust if necessary. don't cook it too fast or long.

at this point the broth should have taken on a nice red hue and the veg will still be intact. i served it straight to the bowl like this with a sprig of parsley and it looked and tasted great. a real homely autumn sort of vibe. if/when i make this again i'll take a picture... the first time i made this soup i used butternut squash instead of sweet potato. the squah turned to mush and i blended the soup when it was cooked. i think the new version was much nicer and more direct in its flavour.