Red Pepper Soup

• 100g pancetta (optional)
• 1 dried chilli
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 3-4 large red peppers

Brown the pancetta in a tablespoon of oil, then add the onion over a low/medium heat. Cook until the onion starts to turn transparent, then add the chilli and garlic for 30 seconds to one minute, until you can smell the aroma of the cooking garlic.

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and roughly chop into large chunks.

Next, add the lentils, tomatoes and some water (how much?), as well as half of the peppers. Cook for about 30-40 minutes over a low heat until the lentils are soft, then season and blend (with an electric stick blender, or pass through a coarse sieve). Return to the saucepan and add the remaining peppers. Cook for a further 10-20 minutes until the peppers are cooked.