Red Lentil and Bacon Soup

1.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, onion and red pepper. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have started to soften.

2.

Boil a kettle and use this to make your stock – or if using fresh stock, bring to the boil in a separate saucepan while the vegetables are sauteeing. Using cold stock is fine, but it will add 5 minutes to the cooking time.

3.

Add the sweet potato, garlic and lentils to the bacon and vegetables. Stir for a minute, then pour over the just boiled stock and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the boil – this should be more or less instant – then turn down to a medium heat, cover, and cook for between 15-20 minutes until the red lentils are tender.

4.

Fish out the herbs. Blend if you like – although it’s not really necessary as the lentils will have broken down and thickened the soup.