Middle Eastern-spiced spinach and lentil soup with garlic yogurt

Method

1. For the soup, heat the oil in a large pan, then add the onion, carrot, garlic, chilli flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook over a low heat for 7-8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
2. Uncover the pan, add the ground cumin and paprika and cook for a few seconds, then stir in the purée. Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for ?20 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. Meanwhile make the garlic yogurt by mixing all the ingredients with a pinch of salt. Chill until needed.
4. Add the diced tomatoes to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Bunch up the spinach leaves and slice them across into fine shreds. Fill 6 deep soup bowls to the brim with the spinach, then ladle over the boiling hot soup and stir. (You can stir the spinach into the soup if you prefer.) As soon as the spinach has wilted, serve topped with a spoonful of the garlic yogurt, sprinkled with a little paprika and with lemon wedges for squeezing over.