Apricot and red lentil soup

Now when summer sadly is over, I'm really in the mood for hot soups. This soup is filling, slightly spicy and with a sweetness from the dry apricots. I made this today, and I'm already looking forward to having it again tomorrow for lunch.

Apricot and red lentil soup (4 portions)
2 dl red lentils
15 dried apricots, chopped
2 cans of plum tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 bay leaves
0.5 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp dried thyme
3 cardamon pods
5 dl of chicken or vegetable stock
zest and juice from one lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Garlic yoghurt
1 dl Greek yoghurt
1 pressed garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion, garlic, chili, apricot gently in olive oil.

Add the cumin, thyme, cardamon pods, bay leaves, tomatoes, lentils, lemon zest and stock. Let simmer for 20-30 min until the lentils are soft. You might need to add some additional water after approx half the cooking time to avoid the soup going to dry.

Mix the yoghurt with garlic, salt and pepper.

Take out the bay leaves and cardamon pods (if you can find them). Blend the soup. If you like a chunkier soup, only blend half of it. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. The trick is to get the right balance between sweetness, salt and lemony zing.

Serve the soup topped with a spoon of garlic yoghurt and fresh bread.