Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. This slow sauté is crucial for building a sweet, aromatic base.

Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, and ground coriander to the pot. Stir continuously for about 1 minute until the spices are fragrant. I find that toasting them for this brief moment really awakens their flavour before any liquid is added.

Tip in the rinsed red lentils and stir to coat them in the vegetables and spices. Pour in the hot vegetable stock.

Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are completely soft and have started to break down.

Turn off the heat. Now for the texture trick: you can use an immersion blender to pulse the soup a few times directly in the pot. Don't overdo it! You want a mixture of creamy soup with some whole lentils and vegetable pieces remaining. Alternatively, ladle about a third of the soup into a regular blender, blitz until smooth, and pour it back into the pot.

Stir in the fresh lemon juice and the chopped parsley. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt if you feel it needs it.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve immediately, perhaps with an extra sprig of parsley on top.