This is a lunchtime soup used on 2 days on Meal Plan 7.

100g onion, chopped, Asda, 2kg/£1.08, 5p
100g white cabbage, Asda, 6p/100g, 6p
100g carrots, Asda, 2kg/£1.18, 6p
50g spaghetti, value 20p/500g, 2p
50g red lentils, 20p/100g, 10p
100g bacon,  Asda 75p/500g, 15p

makes 2 portions at a total cost of 44p, so 22p a portion

Chop the carrots into dice, peel them if you like, or just give them a good scrub. Chop the cabbage up small. Chop the bacon up into small pieces. Saute all the veg together with the bacon until soft. You may need to add a little oil, don’t let the mix stick

Add the red lentils and about a pint of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add a bay leaf if you have one (remember to remove it if you whizz the soup)

Break up the pasta into small pieces and add to the soup. Simmer for a further 10 minutes until the pasta is done.

Add salt and pepper to your taste.

Add more water if it needs it.

If you like smooth soup, you could whizz it with a hand blender, or maybe just half of it. Or put a stick blender in the pan and whizz for a few seconds to semi-puree it.

Per portion,  321 calories, 24g protein, 6g fat, 42g carbs

If you are following meal plan 7, either make this soup fresh each time, or make a double batch and use half for lunch on day 2, and the remaining half on day 5. You will need more calories than this for lunch, so have something else with it. A flatbread, or one of the cakey extras. The flatbreads will stay soft enough to be carried in a packed lunch. Keep them well wrapped.

If you are not following meal plan 7, or you have other ingredients available, any vegetables can be added, or maybe some spices, turmeric and garlic for instance. A tin of tomatoes always makes a good addition to a soup, or some beans, maybe even a tin of baked beans.