Seat Soup with Tension Row

Ingredients

• 250 g red lentils
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sumac (or extra lemon zest)
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh coriander (optional)

Method

1. Boil the eggs hard (10 minutes), cool in cold water, peel. Cut lengthwise in half.
2. Chop onion and garlic. Finely chop bell pepper and chili.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and chili for 5 minutes.
4. Add cumin, paprika, and sumac. Fry briefly.
5. Add lentils, stir. Add stock and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes until lentils break down. Purée soup roughly with a stick blender.
7. Season with lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper.
8. Pour soup into wide bowls. Lay a straight row of 2 egg halves (cut side up) in each bowl, like a row of seats.
9. Garnish with coriander and extra sumac if desired.

Serving notes

• Serve with flatbread or pita on the side.
• Lay the egg halves in a straight line, not scattered, for the seat effect.
• Sprinkle extra sumac for added tension.