Hearty, healthy lentil soup, also suitable as a main dish.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried green lentils
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 medium carrots (yellow and orange)
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 lovage leaves
• 1 l vegetable stock
• olive oil
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
• 1 red chilli pepper
• multigrain bread