Spiced Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. mild chilli powder
32 fluid oz. vegetable stock (I used Knorr concentrated gel stock pots.)
1 cup red lentils 
1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 Tbsp. dried coriander leaf (cilantro)
1 tsp. dried oregano
More salt to taste
Lemon slices or olive oil to garnish

A friend of mine was moving away & gave me the contents of her kitchen press, which included a full bag of red lentils.  I'd always wanted to make my own lentil soup & this was the perfect opportunity.  I looked up several recipes online in order to get an idea about method & amounts & then I added elements of several recipes together, along with my own ideas, to develop this warmly spiced soup.  It's so satisfying, warming & enjoyable with a bit of a Mexican flair.  It  leaves you always wanting to go back for another taste or two, even if you're full.  This amount usually serves 3 of us for 2 nights in a row.

Method:
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Stir in the chopped onion & minced fresh garlic & cook until the onion has turned golden (around 5 minutes).  Stir in the cumin, sea salt, black pepper & chilli powder.  Cook & stir for another 2 minutes or so until the spices are fragrant.  Next, stir in the vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock if you prefer), lentils & carrot.  Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium-low, cover & simmer until lentils are soft (around 30 minutes).  Using a good quality hand blender, blend on a medium setting until the soup is thick, smooth & silky, but not completely chunk-free.  You want it to be almost smooth, but with a few tiny chunks of carrot, etc.  If you don't have a hand blender, you can transfer it to a food processor or blender, being careful not to overfill with the hot liquid or allow the lid to come off while blending. Once blended, add in the lemon juice, oregano & coriander & stir well.  Salt further to taste if necessary.
That's it - it's now ready to serve!  You can garnish each bowlful with a slice of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil or a sprig or two of fresh coriander.  Serve with chunky rustic bread.

So delicious!