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Lovely Lentil, Bacon & Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 40 mins | Makes: 6 serves
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 middle bacon rashers, trimmed & finely chopped
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped, fresh rosemary
- 250g of butternut pumpkin, peeled & cut
- 1 large carrot, cut into pieces
- 300g of potatoes, peeled & cut into pieces
-1 celery stalk, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup of dried red lentils, rinsed & drained
- 1.5 litres of chicken stock
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 400g can of brown lentils, drained & rinsed
- 400g can of borlotti beans, drained & rinsed
- 75g of chopped kale and spinach mix
- 2 tbsps of lemon juice
- Shaved parmesan, to serve
- Toasted bread, to serve
Do you need something to warm you up and make you forget about the fact that you've now spent a solid 4 days inside without human contact?
While it can't fully replace the feel of a hug from a loved one (but you can be sure it'll try its best), this lentil, bacon and vegetable soup is the perfect hearty meal for when things are feeling a bit chilly.
Made in only 5 steps, this soup can also be made in bulk and stored in the freezer, ready to be whipped out and warmed up in a moment's notice!
PSA: Take out the bacon and replace the chicken stock for vegetable stock and you've got yourself a tasty vegan option.
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Method
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat before adding the bacon, onion, garlic, and rosemary. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
2. Add the pumpkin, carrot, potato, celery and red lentils to the mixture and stir to coat thoroughly. Add the stock and thyme before bringing it to the boil.
3. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer this way, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the red lentils are tender and beginning to break down. Add the brown lentils and beans to this mixture and continue cooking this for another 5 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Discard the thyme.
4. Stir the kale mix and juice into the soup and cook for 5 minutes or until the kale wilts.
5. Sprinkle the soup with some parmesan cheese (or a whole handful if that's more your thing) and serve with some toasted warm bread. We're salivating from here.
