Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.

Add chopped onions, minced garlic, chopped carrots, rinsed red lentils, dried parsley, bay leaf, cumin, thyme, salt, and pepper to the boiling stock.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables and lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Remove 3 cups of soup from the saucepan.

Process the removed soup in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Return the blended soup to the saucepan.

Simmer the soup for 5 minutes to heat through.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve hot, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into individual servings.