Place lentils in a large mixing bowl and fill up with enough water to fully cover them. Place saran wrap or any cover over bowl and let lentils soak overnight. The next morning, drain and rinse lentils thoroughly.
If using (if not using skip to last step), thinly dice carrots and onion, slice celery, mince garlic, and chop parsley. Place a medium saucepan on stovetop and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Turn heat to medium-high brining oil to a heat.
Start by tossing diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until it starts to soften and becomes translucent. Toss in carrots and celery and continue to sauté. Sprinkle in the following spices; salt, black pepper, ground turmeric, cumin, paprika, oregano and thyme. Stir making sure aromatics are well coated with spices. Pour in broth and water giving it a stir making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once everything is boiling, stir in lentils. Add bay leaf and allow lentils to boil for 8 minutes. Bring heat down to low, add in garlic and parsley, and give lentils a good stir. Cover sauce pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Remove lentils from heat, give them a stir once again and leave them covered for another 10 minutes so that they can soak up some more of the liquid.
Serve lentils immediately or allow them to completely cool-off uncovered. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.