Red Lentil Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 bundle of soup vegetables
• 400 g red lentils
• 1.5 l meat broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• pepper (from grinder)
• sugar
• thyme (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Clean, wash and peel the carrots and celery. Cut everything into small cubes. Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water, bring to a boil in the broth, add the vegetables, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer for another 20 minutes.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, fry the bacon slices in a non-stick pan until crispy. Once the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaf and roughly puree the soup. Add the lemon zest and tomato paste and heat covered.

3. 3.

   Season with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. To serve, ladle the soup into preheated bowls, garnish each with a bacon slice and sprinkle thyme on top.