Add the oil to a pot on the hob and place on a medium hight heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for around 5 minutes until they are soft and start to go golden/brown.
Add all the ground spices and tomato puree to the pot and cook for another minute stirring everything in.
Rinse the lentils in cold water and drain. Prepare the vegetable stock. Add both to the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook on a gentle simmer for around 20-25 minutes stirring regularly.
To create more smooth consistency, take a hand blender and blend the soup until partially blended but not fully blended. You can also achieve this by removing half the soup, adding to a blender, blending and then adding back to the pot.
Serve the soup in bowls. Add some black pepper, soy yoghurt, fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves and some chilli if you like a little heat.
