Puy Lentil and Spinach Soup - River Cottage

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
• 3 shallots, or 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, cored, deseeded and diced
• 150g Puy lentils, rinsed
• 1.3 litres vegetable stock
• A small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 100g baby spinach
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
• Parmesan, hard goat’s cheese or other well-flavoured hard cheese (optional)