Lentil and Bacon Soup

Method

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1. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for 8 minutes until the fat renders and it is crisp. Lift out half onto paper towels for serving.

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2. Add the oil, onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook 2 minutes.

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3. Add the lentils, stock, bay leaves, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil.

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4. Simmer 30 minutes, partly covered, until the lentils are tender.

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5. Remove the bay leaves. Blend about a third of the soup with a stick blender to thicken it and leave the rest chunky.

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6. Stir in the vinegar and taste for salt; the bacon and stock may already be salty enough.

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7. Serve topped with the crisp bacon and parsley.

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Chef’s Tips

• Use green or brown lentils. Red lentils dissolve to mush.
• Blend only a third for body and keep the rest chunky.
• Finish with vinegar. It lifts the smoke and earth.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Crusty bread
• A poached egg
• A green salad

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 5 days. It thickens as it sits, so loosen with stock. Freeze for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.