Armenian Red Lentil Apricot Soup

Add all of the ingredients, except the optional extra 500ml water, to your slow cooker and cook on medium for around 4 hours (or according to your slow cooker instructions). If you would like to reduce the liquid, leave it to cook for an hour longer with the lid off.
Note: This makes quite a spicy soup, so if you prefer mildly spicy dishes start with 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes. You can always add more at the end.
200 g red lentils, 100 g onion, 50 g dried apricots, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1/2 tsp fenugreek, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 litre vegetable stock
Turn the slow cooker off and let the soup cool. Once it's safe to do so, carefully blend the soup until it is smooth, using a vented blender or immersion blender.
Don't skip this step, this soup should be blended.
Taste and add more chilli flakes and seasoning if desired. If you add more chilli flakes, be sure to blend the soup again for 20 seconds before serving.
If you prefer your soup to be thinner, add some extra hot water and stir to combine.
500 ml hot water

Soak the dried apricots in warm water.
Sauté the onion in a large saucepan in a tbsp oil until soft (approximately 5-7 minutes).
Add the spices (celery salt, fenugreek, turmeric, dried chilli flakes, cumin seeds and fennel seeds) to the saucepan. Stir together with the onion and fry for a further 2 minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add another tbsp of oil.
Note: This makes quite a spicy soup, so if you prefer mildly spicy dishes start with 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes. You can always add more at the end.
Drain the apricots and roughly chop them.
Add the red lentils, diced apricots, lemon juice and vegetable stock. Simmer over low-medium heat for around 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft and the soup is the desired thickness. Add more water during the cooking process as needed.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and, once it's safe to do so, blend the soup until smooth using a vented blender or immersion blender.
Don't skip this step, this soup should be blended.
Taste and add more chilli flakes and seasoning if desired. If you add more chilli flakes, be sure to blend the soup again for 20 seconds before serving.
If you prefer your soup to be thinner, add some extra hot water and stir to combine.
Serve with crusty bread and a swirl of dairy free cream if you're feeling fancy!