Red Lentil Soup

From Katie Johnson

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 large onions or leeks, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
fine sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
5 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 small organic lemon, sliced
1 cup / 200g red lentils, rinsed (soaked, if possible)
4 cups / 1 liter vegetable broth*
pure maple syrup (optional)
fresh cilantro leaves, sliced spring onions, or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

*I made my own vegetable stock and subbed this in for about half the broth.

Preparation
Heat the oil in a medium pot, add the onions (or leeks), garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add salt to taste, along with cumin and cayenne, stirring for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, 3 slices of lemon, and the lentils. Then add the vegetable broth and stir well. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Add a squirt of maple syrup to balance the flavor, if desired. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, onions or parsley and topped with a slice of lemon.