“A lemony lentil soup with sweet, caramelised onions and fried cubes of hellim (halloumi cheese) is a meal my mum would regularly make for us when we were younger if she was either short of time or needed something nutritious ready quickly,” says Meliz Berg, author of Dinner Tonight, out on 27 June (Ebury Press, £22).

“In its most basic form, the Turkish Cypriot version of this soup is such a humble, inexpensive meal made essentially from nothing other than red lentils and rice, but the flavours can easily be elevated to superior levels. Wash the rice and lentils under cold water until the water runs clear then add to a large pan of cold water (you can also add stock for flavour); bring up to the boil for around five minutes, turn down the heat to a simmer and skim off any foam that forms on the surface of the simmering water. If adding finely diced vegetables, add them in at this point and boil for another 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and season with salt and lemon juice to your liking. You can also blend some, all or none of the soup depending on your desired consistency. Fry some cubed hellim and stale bread in olive oil until crispy on all sides, then add to the soup along with some grilled black olives, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of pul biber and dried mint.

You can also add finely diced carrots, potatoes and celery to the lentils and rice for added goodness and flavour so that everything cooks together. Only season the soup with salt once cooked. Plus, the leftovers make excellent packed lunches when stored in an insulated flask.”

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