The Escape Lane

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 250 g red lentils
• 1.5 l vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch parsley

Method

1. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Peel and slice the carrots. Cut the celery and bell pepper into pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and bell pepper for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and fry briefly. Sprinkle paprika and cumin over it.
4. Add the lentils to the pot, pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, simmer gently for 25 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs (8-9 minutes). Cool, peel, and halve lengthwise.
6. Roughly blend the soup with an immersion blender, leaving some texture. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls. Lay a row of halved eggs diagonally over each bowl, like a border barrier. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serving notes

• Serve with crusty bread.
• Sprinkle extra parsley over the eggs for color.
• Let the eggs visibly lie diagonally as a border barrier.