Red Lentil and Apricot Soup (Armenian Recipe)

Add all of the ingredients 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. Omit the chilli if making for children.
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.

Soak the dried apricots in hot water.
50 g dried apricots
Sauté the onion in a large saucepan in a tbsp oil until soft (approximately 5-7 minutes).
100 g onion
Add the spices 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.
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
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 hot water during the cooking process if needed.
200 g red lentils, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 litre vegetable stock
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!