Miso, Mushroom and Red Lentil Soup with Ginger and Garlic

Warming, gut-friendly and packed with immune-supporting goodness, this soup is a bowlful of comfort for the cooler months. Fibre-rich lentils, leeks and garlic help feed your gut bacteria, and miso stirred in off the heat can add live cultures when you choose an unpasteurised one. Fresh ginger and garlic bring warmth and depth, leafy greens add vitamin C, and UV-grown mushrooms can provide a welcome dose of vitamin D as the days get shorter. Finished with spring onions, sesame and a squeeze of lime, it's nourishing, fragrant and freezes beautifully.

• Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed

  • 3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

  • 250g chestnut or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 150g red lentils, rinsed

  • 1.2 litres low-salt vegetable stock

  • 100g kale or spinach, tough stalks removed

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons miso paste

  • To serve: sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of chilli flakes

Instructions…

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the leeks gently for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.

2. Add the garlic, ginger and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the lentils and stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are soft.

4. Stir in the kale or spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.

5. Take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool for a minute or two. Whisk the miso with a ladleful of the broth in a small bowl until smooth, then stir it back into the soup. Taste before adding any salt, as miso is naturally salty.

6. Serve topped with spring onions, sesame seeds, lime and chilli.

Pom note: Adding the miso off the heat helps protect its live cultures, so look for an unpasteurised miso if you can, as many supermarket versions are pasteurised. The lentils, leeks and garlic provide fibre to feed your gut bacteria. Some mushrooms are now grown under UV light and labelled as a source of vitamin D; they're worth looking out for at this time of year. The soup freezes well; add the miso when you reheat it.