Lentil Soup with Bacon

I first made this soup on a very a cold, cold, cold, cold day a few years back and it’s definitely a hearty soup that will warm you up! On that particular day, I had some lentils, and I found a soup recipe over at MarthaStewart.com that not only had lentils, but bacon, too—and that sounded really good!

Wanting to keep the soup on the healty side, I used turkey bacon in it, and I used more bacon than the original recipe calls for. And I added extra onions because I love onions. Since I like my soups thicker, I also added less water—I guess you could even call it a stew because it’s thick and chunky! If you prefer to keep this vegetarian, just omit the bacon–it’s still a very good basic lentil soup recipe! I like the little punch of flavor that the red wine vinegar gives this soup, which is added at the end of cooking, along with some salt and pepper. This soup is just what you need to help you warm up on those cold winter days!

Lentil Soup with Bacon

Servings: 4
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: easy
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LENTIL SOUP WITH BACON by NancyC, adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Makes 4 servings

6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces (I used turkey bacon)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4″ half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups) or vegetable broth
1 cup water (if you want a thinner soup, use 2 cups of water)
1 Tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a Dutch oven or other 5-quart pot with lid, cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes (turkey bacon may need less time). Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat (if you use turkey bacon like I did, you won’t have much fat, so just add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to your cooking pot).

Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cooking about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

Add lentils, thyme, broth, and water. Bring to a boil; lower heat and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Stir in vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com

Thick, chunky soups are a favorite cold-weather meal of mine! What do you like to eat when it’s really cold outside?

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