• Slice the onion, the carrot and the celery and the red bell pepper (in little bite size pieces), the chopped ginger (if you’re using fresh), the garlic and the red pepper.
• Heat the oil in a big soup pan.
• Add the onion, red pepper and fresh ginger, and after a minute or two, add the celery, bell pepper and carrot. Stir for 3 more minutes.
  
• Add the garlic (and the ginger powder if you’re using powder) and stir for another 30 seconds.
• Drain the chickpeas and add them with the lentils to the mix, too.
• Also add the tomato paste and stir for a minute on low heat.
• In goes the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
  
• If you’re using pre-cooked lentils, 10 minutes will do just fine.

In the meantime:

• Cut the cilantro and the parsley.