Spicy Lentil Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dry lentils

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 8 more minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; mix in chicken stock and lentils.
Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to low; simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.