Lentil Soup

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This hearty lentil soup will chase away the chill.

Whether you’re looking to eat better or chase away the cold weather doldrums, this smoky lentil soup with vegetables is just the ticket. It is best made with French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy. Prized by chefs for their earthy, peppery flavor and sturdy texture, these small lentils hold their shape when cooked, thickening the soup without turning it to mush (if you’ve ever had lentil soup so thick you could stand a spoon in it, you know what I mean). You can find French green lentils in many supermarkets—I usually get them at Whole Foods or Wegman’s—or order them online. They are worth going out of your way to find, as they work beautifully in soups and salads. If you can’t get them, it’s fine to use common green or brown lentils; just watch the cooking time as they can get mushy.

Unlike dried beans, lentils don’t require pre-soaking prior to being cooked. You simply pick over the little legumes, remove any that look broken or damaged, and cook.

What you’ll need to make Lentil soup

While I love the smoky flavor that bacon lends to this soup, if you don’t eat pork or are a vegetarian, you can omit the bacon. The soup will still be delicious but you might add a pinch of smoked paprika to mimic the flavor of the bacon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin with the prep. To make the bacon easy to chop, wrap the slices you need in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. They will be a bit stiffer when you remove them and much easier easier to cut.
Chop the bacon, onions, and celery very fine, so they aren’t too discernible in the finished soup, but keep the carrots a bit larger so they don’t disappear.

Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.

Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 45 to 50 minutes (less for common lentils).

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup a little bit at a time until the broth is slightly thickened. Go easy—if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and you’ll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don’t have an immersion blender, simply transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.

Season to taste and adjust the consistency if necessary (the soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add some water).

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

You may also like

• Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
• Indian Spiced Red Lentil and Chicken Soup
• Split Pea Soup with Ham
• Pasta e Fagioli