Lentil & Bacon Soup
I really fancied a soup the other night, and don’t judge me but I do love a tin of soup!! The local shop here doesn’t sell Heinz or Baxters ;-), not like England where you can nip to the corner shop and pick up a tin!! So I looked in the cupboards and decided to make something hearty.
My Aunt had lots of lentils in, a few pieces of bacon so there it was Lentil and Bacon Soup…..Yum!
Ingredients
3 cups yellow split pea lentils
7 cups water
1st salt
6 rashers of bacon diced
1 onion diced
3 celery sticks diced
3 carrots sliced
3 garlic grated
1″ chunk ginger grated
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
handful fresh thyme
3 cups stock (I used some beef stock my aunt had in the freezer left over from a roast 🙂 but there wasn’t enough so I added a oxo too)
1 tsp garam masala
optional 1 tsp chilli flakes
salt
pepper
1 tbsp oil
optional fried onions for the topping
Method
In a deep saucepan pour in the lentils and the water, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and let this bubble away, stirring every so often as it can stick. You want the lentils to be cooked but with a slight bite, the liquid should be thick. The consistency you are looking for is like mushy peas. Do not throw away the water you need all of this.
Whilst the lentils are cooking heat another deep pan and fry your bacon until crispy, I didn’t add oil at first as it gives off a lot of oil. But if it sticks drizzle in a little.
Once crispy set aside.
Then to the same pan pour in a little more oil if needed and add in the onions, celery and carrots. Sweat them on a high heat until soft but not brown. Then add in the garlic and ginger, the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and cumin and cook for a few minutes.
Pour in the stock
Cover the pan with a lid and let this bubble away while the lentils are cooking, cook until the carrots are tender. Once they are tender remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs then blitz the stock to be smooth.
Once the lentils are cooked you can add these to the stock pan.
Stir this well. Then add in the bacon.
At this point taste the soup and see if it needs seasoning, it should already have enough salt, as we added salt to the lentils and the stock and bacon should be salty…..but you may want to add in some black pepper. I also added in some chilli flakes.
Then sprinkle in the garam masala, stir and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with crispy fried onions on top…..soooooo good!
Enjoy xxxx
PRINTER FRIENDLY OPTION
Lentil and Bacon Soup
by Lululemonandlace
Ingredients
3 cups yellow split pea lentils
7 cups water
1st salt
6 rashers of bacon diced
1 onion diced
3 celery sticks diced
3 carrots sliced
3 garlic grated
1″ chunk ginger grated
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
handful fresh thyme
3 cups stock (I used some beef stock my aunt had in the freezer left over from a roast 🙂 but there wasn’t enough so I added a oxo too)
1 tsp garam masala
optional 1 tsp chilli flakes
salt
pepper
1 tbsp oil
optional fried onions for the topping
Method
In a deep saucepan pour in the lentils and the water, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and let this bubble away, stirring every so often as it can stick. You want the lentils to be cooked but with a slight bite, the liquid should be thick. The consistency you are looking for is like mushy peas. Do not throw away the water you need all of this.
Whilst the lentils are cooking heat another deep pan and fry your bacon until crispy, I didn’t add oil at first as it gives off a lot of oil. But if it sticks drizzle in a little.
Once crispy set aside.
Then to the same pan pour in a little more oil if needed and add in the onions, celery and carrots. Sweat them on a high heat until soft but not brown. Then add in the garlic and ginger, the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and cumin and cook for a few minutes.
Pour in the stock
Cover the pan with a lid and let this bubble away while the lentils are cooking, cook until the carrots are tender. Once they are tender remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs then blitz the stock to be smooth.
Once the lentils are cooked you can add these to the stock pan.
Stir this well. Then add in the bacon.
At this point taste the soup and see if it needs seasoning, it should already have enough salt, as we added salt to the lentils and the stock and bacon should be salty…..but you may want to add in some black pepper. I also added in some chilli flakes.
Then sprinkle in the garam masala, stir and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with crispy fried onions on top…..soooooo good!
Lulu xxx
lululemonandlace.com 