A Can of Soup Is the Secret to These Stew-y Spiced Baked Eggs

What are the building blocks of an easy, inexpensive meal? For staff writer Kendra Vaculin, nothing does the trick quite like 3 Eggs and a Can. Follow this series for her mealtime moves based around that simple, versatile formula—and all the directions it can go.

When I began writing a recipe column that celebrates the potential of two simple and inexpensive ingredients (or four, really: it's called 3 Eggs and a Can), I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d have to tackle soup. It’s a broad category that often takes up a whole aisle at the grocery store. Creamy soups, chunky soups, noodle soups, bisques—I probably could have named the column Three Eggs and a Soup and still had enough to work with for a few months of meals. But I steered clear for the first handful of installments, sticking to beans, canned veggies, and Spam, because even with an aisle of options to choose from, it was hard to know which soup was the right place to start.

I’ll admit, I’m not a big soup eater. Even when I’m sick I prefer plain broth as a sidecar over the classic chicken noodle, and I usually opt for a box over a can. But I love lentils in any form, especially with eggs, so that seemed as a good a jumping-off point as any. The “soup” part would throw a curveball into the mix—bringing with it its own flavor profile and perspective, unlike a scoop of lentils you cook yourself from dried—but a few minutes scanning ingredient labels set me on the right path.

To key to this easy baked eggs recipe is beginning with as blank a canvas as you can find—that is, the most boring and plain-looking can of lentil soup that your local grocery store has to offer (like this one from Amy’s). The other options will be tempting and sound much better on the label, and if we were eating the soup straight up, they would likely be the superior choice. But we’ve got bigger plans for this can which involve playing off the inherent earthiness of unadorned lentils. Save the “Lentil + Vegetable,” “Golden Lentil,” “Butternut and Lentil,” “Creamy Lentil,” and “Sausage & Lentil” for another time: Today is all about “Lentil,” no flair, nothing extra.

Because—twist—the extra comes from you. You build in the sweetness, acid, and heat with the help of caramelized onions, a trio of spices, and a big scoop of tomato paste that you cook long enough to concentrate and darken. Adding in the lentils and letting the flavors meld for a minute means you’re eliminating any of the straight-from-the-can flavor that can sometimes appear in a shelf-stable soup; the runny-yolked eggs and oil-bloomed cumin seeds (a technique you might recognize from Indian cooking) add welcome richness in every bite.

Serve this pan of baked eggs by itself or with flatbread for scooping, and prepare to fight with your dining companion over that third egg. It’s an earthy, homey, stew-y (but not soup-y!) mix that comes together crazy-fast in just one vessel (plus the side pot for tarka), which is exactly what I want on a cold evening (or morning!) with little time but a growling stomach.

Spiced Lentil and Caramelized Onion Baked Eggs

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