Middle-Eastern-style carrot and lentil soup

8 carrots (preferably a mix of purple, red, orange, yellow & white kinds), ends removed
2 cooking onions, halved
1 anise or fennel bulb, halved
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 small red pepper, halved and seeded

5 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 1/2 cups red lentils
big pinch cardamom
big pinch cumin
big pinch tumeric
handful fresh mint, chopped
olive oil
1 cup milk
plain yogurt

Roast vegetables until beginning to blacken (30-45 min). While roasting, cook spices in olive oil for five minutes to form a rich paste. Add stock and lentils, boil for 1 hour adding water if needed. When vegetables are roasted, chop roughly with mint and add to boiling lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Puree in batches (using a blender) and return to pot. Stir in milk and reheat. Garnish with plain yogurt and black pepper.

Served with grilled Spanish chorizo and North-African merguez, pita bread triangles and mixed green salad with dijon vinaigrette.