Serves 4

What you need:
2 medium onions,
finely chopped 2 sticks celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
175g / 6oz red lentils, washed
1 ½ litres / 2 ½ pints vegetable stock
½ teaspoon olive oil
4 bay leaves
1 bunch chervil
A little salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you do:
Sauté the vegetables gently in a little olive oil over a low heat until softened slightly. Add stock and bay leaves and simmer gently for 10 minutes before adding lentils and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves using slotted spoon, add chervil and season with a little salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth adding a little boiling water if soup is too thick. Serve with homemade brown bread.

Margaret Burke, Cornucopia Wholefood Restaurant, Wicklow Street, Dublin.