Start by putting the lentils in a sieve and rinsing them under cold water to remove some of the excess starch.

Heat the oil in a pot and add in the onions. Turn the heat down to low and leave the onions to gently cook until soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato purée until all the onions have been coated and cook for about 2 minutes.

Next, add in the red pepper and mix in with the onions.

In the meantime, dissolve the two stock cubes in a litre of boiling water.

Add the red lentils and the ham stock to the pot and stir. Leave the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

If you would like to purée the soup, do so now. I like to give it a few quick pulses with my stick blender to remove any large chunks of onion or pepper, but don´t purée it until completely smooth.

Season the soup to taste with chilli flakes (if you like a little spice), salt and pepper.

Serve hot, with some crusty bread and butter. The soup can also be easily reheated the next day or frozen.