Lentil and Chestnut Soup

Another way of adding zip to cold leftovers is to serve hot soup first.

I first had this aromatic, velvety, manilla-coloured soup at Le Caprice about ten years ago, and still hanker after it. This is, with some help from the restaurant, my interpretation of it.

I have specified vegetable stock, and I tend to use Marigold vegetable bouillon powder, but obviously you can use chicken stock if you prefer.

Peeling chestnuts gives me a nervous breakdown, so for this, I use