Creamy Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 400 g red lentils
• 1 bundle vegetable mix
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 l beef broth
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• sugar
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 small slice farmer's bread (cut into cubes)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Clean and wash the vegetable mix, peel carrots and celery. Cut a bit of each vegetable into fine julienne for garnish and set aside. Dice the rest into small cubes. Rinse lentils in a sieve under cold water, bring to boil in broth, simmer 20 minutes, then add vegetables, bay leaf, and thyme, simmer another 20 minutes. Once lentils are tender, remove the bay leaf and puree the soup.

2. 2.

   Add lemon zest, curry, and tomato paste to the lentil purée, season with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Serve by ladling the soup into preheated bowls, topping each with 1 tbsp crème fraîche, and sprinkling bread cubes and vegetable julienne on top.