Split Pea and Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
Serves 4

225g    Split peas (I used yellow lentils as they have a lovely nutty flavour)
1 tbsp  Coconut oil or sunflower oil
1           Onion chopped
225g    Pumpkin chopped
3          Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp    Dried tarragon
1 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tsp    Ground cumin
1           veg stock
Chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste
Fresh sprigs of coriander to garnish (or parsley)
Soya cream to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large and cook the onion until soft but not browned.
2. Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, tarragon, coriander, cumin, and chilli powder and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add 2 pints of water, veg stock, split peas, salt to taste and bring the boil over a high heat.
4. Simmer until the pumpkin and split peas are nice and soft (30 mins or so)
5. If the soup becomes too thick just keep adding water until it is at your preferred consistency
6. Blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth again add more water if necessary (if you do not have a hand blender don't worry its just as tasty just a different texture that's all).
7. Ladle soup into bowls and again garnish with coriander and soya cream if you wish.
    

Tomato Soup 

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil pref coconut or sunflower is also fine
1 onion roughly chopped
1 small carrot roughly chopped
1 celery stick roughly chopped
1 garlic clove roughly chopped
1 lb ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
(I added a couple of parsnips to mine to give it a more creamy flavour again optional)
400g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree or 1/2 a bottle of passata also fine
2 tbsp of natural sweetener ie Agave syrup or honey (optional as some like sweeter than others)
1 tbs chopped fresh thyme or dried oregano leaves (I used oregano)
1 pint veg stock
Salt and black pepper to taste
Soya cream to garnish
 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Cook over a medium heat for around 5 mins stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown.
2. Add the tomatoes, puree, agave syrup or honey, stock and herbs, retaining some for garnish.
3. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until all the veg are nice and soft.
4. Blend the mixture until smooth, add salt, pepper and a little water if texture becomes too thick.
5. Ladle into bowl and garnish with herbs and perhaps some soya cream.