• Wash the lenses until the wash water runs clear. Soak them overnight in enough water to cover them well.
• Cut the beefsteak tomatoes into pieces the size of a fingernail. Use with the tomato juice. Cap the onions and garlic cloves at both ends, peel and cut into small pieces. Measure and defrost the celery stalks. Wash and peel the potatoes, cut in half lengthways, halves lengthways and quarter across. Wash the carrot, cap at both ends, peel and notch lengthways in the upper quarter. Slice the whole carrot crosswise into approx. 3 mm thick slices.
• Heat the olive oil well in a pan, add the onions and garlic and roast until the onions begin to turn brown. Add the bacon and fry for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the tomato juice, add the lentils with their soaking water and the celery stalks and bring to a simmer.
• Season to taste with the chicken stock and pepper and add the spices. After simmering for 5 minutes, add the potatoes and after another 3 minutes the carrot slices. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.
• Distribute the warm soup on the serving bowls, serve and enjoy.

Annotation:

• Serve as a snack with white bread.