Hearty Lentil Soup
Thanks for letting me complain on Tuesday, I needed it (clearly). Last week was a rough one.
When things are difficult, I feel like the kitchen calls to me, but… not in the usual way. I get this deep need to get back to basics, to make things from scratch. It’s as if my soul needs to heal and this time making home made chicken stock was the answer. So, that’s what I did. I made a huge batch of chicken stock.
Now, I’m going to tell you that making chicken stock is above and beyond what’s really necessary here. I will also tell you that it was worth every minute it sat there and simmered away. Instead of using all of it right then and there, I poured the cooled liquid gold into airtight bags and stuck it in the freezer.
This past weekend, my husband was out of town, he left me for California sunshine and lots of good wine. He needed a break from this pathetic weather we have been having. Each day that he was gone, the weather got a little colder and I added another blanket to the bed.
So, Tuesday night rolled around and I decided I was going to make soup. Mike was still out of town, but I wanted him to know he was missed. I decided on lentil soup. You know, because his cholesterol is on the high side and I wanted to make him something that was warm, hearty AND good for him.
As I pulled my frozen chicken stock out of the freezer and poured myself a second third glass of wine, it hit me. This soup needs bacon.. a LOT of bacon! Yes, you read this correctly. He has high cholesterol, I set out to make something healthy and low in cholesterol and then I added bacon. Story of my life (and his) right there.
The home made chicken stock just took the whole pot to another level. The end result was a really hearty and not so healthy soup. I sure do love you Mike.
PrintHearty Lentil Soup
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
7 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lb. green or brown lentils
8 cups of chicken stock
Tobasco, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Sour cream, for garnish
Directions:
1. Cook your bacon in a deep pot on medium until it is good and brown and set aside. You have the option of draining the bacon fat at this point, if you want to go that route, go for it! Personally, I left it in.
2. Turn the heat down to low, and add the red wine vinegar to the pan. The point of this is to deglaze the pan, so use a spatula to scrap the bottom of the pot so that the delicious brown bits from the bottom come off of your pot. Add your garlic, carrots, onion and celery. Turn the heat back to medium and cook until the onions are soft.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft. Serve hot.
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Looks good!
I made Baked Lentils Supreme this week.
Must be the weather…
I didn’t add bacon but I ran out of stock so I cut up a single slice of deli ham to add a bit more flavor.
It was amazing what that little bit of pork did for the recipe!
This looks really good, love lentils!