Creamy without Cream Lentil Soup (vegan recipe)

It's a rainy and cold December day... I'm totally in the mood for some delicious soup!

What you need:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup red lentils
8 cups organic vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste

What you do:
Rinse the lentils well and set aside.

Heat oil in a large stock pot, add onions and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the celery, carrots and the garlic powder. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, 4 cups of vegetable stock and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 25 minutes.

Add juice from lemon. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Carefully pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Transfer the soup back to the pot. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in salt, white pepper, and cayenne.

Serve with a sprinkle of cayenne. Enjoy!