1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the lentils, the medium onion, garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Return the soup to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are very soft. Let it cool slightly. Grind a quarter of the soup in a food processor or blender and return it to the pot.

2. Chop the carrots, pepper, and the small onion into ¼-inch slivers.

3. Reheat the soup and add the carrots, pepper, onion, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and the additional 1 tsp cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the soup from sticking.