A load of manky old veg – spuds, a soft pepper, a wrinkly courgette and some soft carrots. Oh, and some very sad celery. Only the leek was pristine and fresh.

Diced small by hand (because I felt like it – often I don’t), hurled in the slow cooker with some barley, seasoning, water and a secret ingredient … the bone from the lamb massaman I’d made the day before. Despite there being not one single shred of meat on that bone, it gave the soup a subtle heat.

I cooked the soup for about 18 hours, then whizzed it a bit with the stick blender to stop it being just veg in hot water. Fab, and just enough left now to be the starter for *next* week.