Heat oil in a pan and stir fry chopped onions for about 5 minutes.
Add chopped garlic, cumin and turmeric and cook for a few more minutes.
Stir in lentils, add stock and cook for an additional 35 minutes, stirring several times while cooking to prevent lentils from sticking to bottom of the pan.
Toss in the cilantro (or parsley).
Stir in lemon juice and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more.
Serve with chunks of warm, crusty bread.
Notes
No blending is necessary unless you prefer your soup really smooth.