Dice the onion, carrots, celery, potato, red pepper, and zucchini. Slice mushrooms and mince garlic and grate ginger so all ingredients are ready before starting.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the diced onion, carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring to prevent burning.

Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook 4–5 minutes until they release their moisture and begin to brown.

Add the diced potato, red bell pepper and zucchini to the pot and stir to combine, cooking 2 minutes to slightly soften the new additions.

Stir in the tomato paste and canned diced tomatoes with their juices, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Pour in 6 cups vegetable broth, add rinsed lentils, drained chickpeas and the bay leaf. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils and potatoes are tender.

Seasoning & Finishing

After the soup has simmered and the lentils are tender, remove and discard the bay leaf.

Stir in the soy sauce (or tamari), maple syrup, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding red pepper flakes if you want heat.

If you prefer a slightly thicker soup, use an immersion blender to puree about one-third of the soup in the pot (alternatively ladle 2–3 cups into a blender, puree, and return to pot). Stir to combine for a creamier texture while retaining chunky vegetables.

Simmer uncovered for 3–5 more minutes to let flavors marry. Turn off heat and stir in fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.

To Serve (optional)

Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each bowl with a little olive oil, sprinkle with extra chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve with slices of crusty bread on the side for dipping.