Roast Marrow, Garlic and Mung Bean Soup

Tasty, nutritious and easy recipe for a yummy autumn soup. Use lentils instead of mung beans and courgettes instead of marrow if you prefer.

Time:  10 minutes hands on time & 30-40 minutes cooking time
Cost:  55p per serving
Calories:  200 per serving

Full Recipe

Serves 4

• 1 large marrow - around 1 kg in weight
• 1 tin mung beans in water, drained and rinsed
  
• Approximately 600ml / 1 pint hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 5 - 6 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried cumin
  
• Around 2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180 C.
2. Pour the oil into a roasting tray and spread it around with a spaturlar to coat the bottom of the tin.
3. Take your marrow and cut into 2 - 3cm slices. Cut each slice into quarters. If the marrow contains seeds remove them at this stage if you like (see tip below). Spread the pieces evenly over the bottom of the roasting tin.
   
4. Peel the garlic cloves and pop them whole into the roasting tin along with the marrow. Sprinkle the rosemary over marrow and garlic evenly.
   
5. Pop the tray in the oven and roast the marow for 30 - 40 minuites until the marrow chunks are tender and offer little resistance when piereced with a knife.
6. When the marrow is cooked, pop the pieces into a large saucepan along with the garlic, mung beans, cumin and hot stock. Warm over a medium to high heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
   
7. Turn off the heat and using a hand blender inside the pan, blend the mixture until fairly smooth.
   

Tip:  Marrow seeds are edible, but you may wish to remove them if you are planning on giving this soup to very young children. An easy way to do this is to scoop them out of each quarter slice of marrow before popping them in the roasting tin. If you choose to leave them then they will roast and blend up well with the rest of the ingredents very well and give a nice nutty flavour along with the mung beans.