Some recipes come from the dessert, and this is one of them. The recipe is about a few ingredients and is cooked slowly to extract flavour and nourishment. Lentils form the core of this soup, slow-cooked until they retain a lovely bite, and spinach is added for colour and nourishment. The magic in the soup is the topping of coriander and garlic (taklia), which adds a pop and wonderful flavour. The soup is filling, and the slow cooking allows the community ot travellers to com

Very few foods make me happier than a nice bowl of hot soup in the winter. It warms you up, not just physically, but also makes me happy. I think this comes down to the fact that I grew up with soups; my mother would give us hot soup on cold, rainy plantations during the monsoon season. This is a lovely soup with Indian flair and a touch of the Middle East. The lentil soup is delicate and creamy, the tomatoes adding a subtle tartness and the harissa adding a touch of spice. T

It is winter, so turnips have flooded the market. I love turnips and try to enjoy them during this time of the year. This is a delicate soup dominated by turnip flavour. The leeks and potatoes temper the turnips' flavours a bit, and the herbs add earthy notes that complement the vegetables. This is a smooth soup, with mild, delicious flavours. I enjoy it for dinner with a few slices of sourdough bread and cheese. This book, Six Seasons, is one of my favourites for a variety o