Lentil Soup with Lemon and Garlic

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1-2 carrots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped (or use crushed garlic paste)
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 cup lentils, rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 lemons
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (or more)
ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the celery, carrots, potato, and half the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften.

2. Add the lentils and stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add the bay leaves, remaining garlic, and half the lemons (or just the juice) to the pan and cook the soup for another 10 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons, then stir into the soup.

4. Pour the soup into a food processor, or use an immersion blender until smooth. stir in the cayenne pepper and season to taste.