Nigel Slater's Recipes for Yogurt, Wheat, Spinach, and Lentil Soup, and Beet, Orange, and Yogurt Salad

I started my day with yogurt, the stronger the better, as far as I can remember. It can be a small dish of pure white curd eaten with a teaspoon or, as it is now late winter, in a deep bowl with slices of blood oranges, bunches pomegranate, passion fruit, chia seeds and toasted oats. . More often than not, I finish it that way too, with a spoonful or two before heading up the stairs to bed. In this house, a day without yogurt is almost unthinkable.

In cooking, I prefer the thinner, undrained version rather than the thick, creamy ones, which can sometimes lack the necessary refreshing acidity. Here, yogurt can end up being used as a vinaigrette; sieved, salted and drained to produce homemade labneh; or mixed into lentil soup or chicken casserole. A last-minute burst of acidity to brighten up a recipe or simply bring a little harmony and balance to a dish.

Yoghurt, wheat, spinach and lentil soup

You can make this soup the day before if you plan to eat it if you wish, but stop before adding the yogurt. Add the yoghurt only when the soup is no longer boiling, otherwise the whole thing will curdle. I sometimes like to drop a dollop of thick yogurt into each bowl at the table. Serves 4-6

green lentils 100 ggrains of wheat 90 gonions 600 gal 2 cloves olive oil 2 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cinnamon a pinch of vegetable stock 1.2 liter spinach leaves 150 g lemon juice from 1 thick yoghurt 200 g ground turmeric 2 pinches ground paprika 2 large pinches of mint 16 pruning leaves medium

Rinse the lentils, put them in a deep saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and reserve. Soak the wheat in a bowl of lukewarm water.

Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop the onions. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, then add the onions and cook until soft - a good 20 minutes. Peel and finely chop the garlic, add it to the onions and, when everything is soft, add the cumin seeds, ground coriander and cinnamon. Allow the spices to cook for a minute or two, then drain the wheat and add it to the pan, along with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the wheat is tender but still moist. Add the lentils.

Wash the spinach and place, still damp, in a deep saucepan over high heat, tightly covered with a lid. Let the leaves steam for a few minutes, then turn them with kitchen tongs and continue steaming for a minute or two until tender. Drain and squeeze lightly in your hand to remove most of the water, then coarsely chop.

Add the spinach to the soup, then lower the heat. Mix the yogurt with half the lemon juice. Stir into the soup and let the yogurt cool down, making sure the soup doesn't boil (if it does, your soup will curdle). Add a little turmeric, paprika and chopped mint, check the seasoning by adding the rest of the lemon juice if you wish. Then pour into warm bowls.

Beetroot, orange and yogurt salad