Red Lentil Soup

In a sieve, wash the red lentils and rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Add the drained rice and lentils to a large pan and fill with the 3 litres (5 pints) of cold water. Place the pan over a high heat and bring to the boil for 5 minutes, skimming off and discarding the foam that forms on the top. Reduce the heat a little.

Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water in a heatproof jug. Add the stock to the pan, then stir and simmer over a low heat for around 25–30 minutes until the soup thickens.

While the soup is cooking, add the olive oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions to the hot oil, reduce the heat and soften for 15–20 minutes until translucent. Increase the heat a little so that the onions caramelise and turn a lovely golden-brown colour, then remove from the heat.

Add the lemon juice, salt and black pepper to the soup pan, give everything a gentle stir, cook for a further minute and then remove one-third of the soup and blitz carefully in a food processor. Return the blended soup back to the pan. Stir in half of the caramelised onions, cook for a minute, then remove the pan from the heat.

Serve bowls of the soup with the remaining onions, a sprinkling of pul biber, dried mint, grilled black olives, large croutons or toasted bread and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.