Chock full of vegetables and bacon, this lentil soup is a hearty and healthy meal unto itself.
 

Servings

6
 

Total Time

1 Hour
 

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup French lentils (or common brown or green lentils)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt (more to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
 

Instructions

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, and garlic to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 45 to 50 minutes (less for common lentils). Fish out the bay leaves and discard.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until the broth is slightly thickened, or to desired consistency. (Be careful not to puree too much or the soup will get too thick, and you’ll lose the integrity of the lentils.) If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, then return the blended soup to the pot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve.

(Note: the soup may thicken as it sits; thin with a bit of water if necessary.)