WOTW - I gave our stick blender to DS to mix his protein shakes. I need to replace it because I do like to blend the lumps out of a lot of soups. But today's is a chunky one, and I vary it according to what veg I have. But it generally goes something like this:
1 onion, diced
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped, not too fine
two leeks, green ends/one leek, sliced
sweat these three in a large cocotte/heavy pan with a good dollop of olive oil, salt and pepper and a couple of sprigs of rosemary (or bay, or thyme, whatever you have) and a heel of Parmesan if you have it. Sweat for a good time over a low heat, till it's all soft, not brown.
Peel about 3-4 potatoes, chop fairly large. Add them to the pan.
Add a handful or two of red lentils.
Add about a litre of stock - I like chicken, home-made lovely, but a stock cube will do just as well. Simmer until the lentils have disappeared and the potatoes are soft. Add a drained can of beans - I like canellini, but whatever you have. Soft beans are nicer, I think, so butter beans rather than kidney.
Heat it all through, serve with an extra bit of olive oil and a grate of Parmesan. Some lucky person gets the Parmesan heel.
This gives me and DH plenty for dinner, plus a bowl left over for my lunch tomorrow.