Hearty Lentil and Bacon Soup
A thick, comforting lentil soup with sweet carrots, smoky lardons and fresh thyme. Simmered until the lentils are tender, then partly blended so it is creamy but still chunky.
- Total
- 60 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 45
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Rendering fat · Simmering
- Savory
- Comforting
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Peel and finely chop the oignon. Peel the carottes and cut them into 1 cm pieces. Pick the thym leaves and discard the stems.
~10 min
-
Put the lardons in a large pot over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the lardons are browned and their fat has rendered.
~8 min
Rendering the lardons' fat creates a smoky base and browned flavour that seasons the whole soup.
Rendering fat Cook lardons over medium heat until the fat runs clear and they brown; too high a heat burns them before the fat renders.
-
Add the chopped oignon to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the carottes and the thym leaves and cook for 2 more minutes.
~5 min
Sweating the onion in the rendered fat softens it and builds a sweet base before the carrots go in.
-
Add the lentilles, 1.2 l water, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils and carottes are tender.
~30 min
Simmering gently lets the lentils soften and thicken the broth without scorching or turning mushy.
Simmering Keep a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so lentils cook evenly and the soup thickens without sticking to the pot.
-
Take about one third of the soup out of the pot and blend it until smooth. Stir it back into the pot for a creamy but still chunky texture.
~5 min
Blending part of the soup releases starch that thickens it, giving creaminess while keeping some texture.
-
Simmer the soup for 2 minutes more. Taste and add a little salt or black pepper if needed, then ladle into bowls.
~2 min