1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 onion, peeled and chopped roughly

4 large carrots, peeled and roughly sliced

175g dried lentils

1 litre of water

1 stock cube (I prefer chicken, but you can use a vegetable stock cube to make it vegetarian, or a teaspoon of low salt bouillon to make it suitable for young children)

Heat oil in large pan

Add the onion and garlic and stir for a couple of minutes to soften

Add the carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn

Add the dried lentils, water and stock

Turn down heat and simmer for 20 mins, or until the vegetables are soft

I prefer to blend mine (using a hand blender put straight into the soups pan). You could part blend or leave it more casserole-like depending on your preferred consistency

Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful not to add salt to meals for young children or babies

Adding grated cheese, and/or stirring in double cream to the finished soup adds extra calories if you’re trying to gain weight

Add a large pinch of chilli powder to add a little kick