Bacon And Lentil Soup

This Bacon And Lentil Soup is delightfully filling, tasty and a very rich source of protein. I find it a wonderful meal, especially for winter, accompanied with some fresh crusty bread.

If you have leftovers, this soup can be frozen for up to 6 months - so perfect for those days when you don't have to cook for others, or just couldn't be bothered cooking at all.

The lowly lentil has been sustaining man for thousands of years. Some foodies once considered lentils as poor man's food and refused to eat them because they are so inexpensive. Although they may be cheap, lentils are very nutritious, filling, and more importantly, arguably the most flavorful of all the legumes.

From my perspective - in this current financial crisis - buy the lentils.

My google research shows that lentil artifacts have been found on archeological digs dating back 8,000 years, and The Bible's book of Genesis tells the story of Esau, who gave up his birthright for a bowl of crimson lentils and a loaf of bread. Poor Catholics who could not afford fish during the season of Lent substituted lentils.

Thought to have originated in the Near East or Mediterranean area, lentils (known as dal or dahl in India) are small disks resembling a flat baby pea. When halved, dried lentils resemble their split pea cousins. They grow two to a pod and are dried after harvesting.

There are hundreds of varieties of lentils, with as many as fifty or more cultivated for food. They come in a variety of colors, with red, brown, and green being the most popular. Lentils have an earthy, nutty flavor, and some varieties lend a slight peppery touch to the palate.

This Bacon and Lentil Soup recipe is sure to satisfy...

Ingredients:

450g thick-sliced bacon, cubed

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 small turnip, roughly chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped

75g lentils (red or brown)

1 bouquet garni

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat a large pan and add teh bacon. Cook for a few minutes, allowing the fat to run out.

Add all the vegetables and cook for 4 minutes.

Add lentils, bouquet garni, seasoning and enough water to cover.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour, or until the lentils are tender.

Remove bouquet garni, and serve with warm crusty herb bread.

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