Step 1

Finely chop the onion, roughly chop the garlic, cut the carrots (peeled) into small bite-size pieces, finely grate the tomatoes and add the red lentils into a fine sieve and rinse under water

Step 2

Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil

Step 3

After a couple of minutes add in the chopped onion, garlic and carrots, mix continuously, after 3 to 4 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in the sherry vinegar, paprika and cumin, give it a quick mix, then add in the grated tomato, give it a mix and then simmer without mixing

Step 4

Once the grated tomato has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, add in the red lentils, broth and bay leaf, turn it up to a high heat and give it a mix, once it comes to a boil, place a lid on the stock pot and lower to a low heat

Step 5

Once the red lentils are just cooked through (check package cooking times, mine was 10 minutes), season the soup with sea salt & black pepper, give it one final mix and then remove from the heat

Step 6

Transfer into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!