A tasty and filling lentil and bacon soup that takes just 20 minutes from start to finish. Make and freeze in portions to take to work.
Ingredients
- oil: 1 tsp oil
- bacon: 75g/2¾oz smoked back bacon, trimmed of all fat and finely chopped
- onion: 1 onion, finely chopped
- pepper: 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- vegetable stock: 1.5 litres/3lb 5oz chicken or vegetable stock
- sweet potato: 1 small sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
- garlic: 1 garlic clove
- red lentils: 200g/7oz red lentils
- thyme: large sprig thyme
- bay leaf: 1 bay leaf
- black pepper: salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, onion and red pepper. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have started to soften.
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Boil a kettle and use this to make your stock – or if using fresh stock, bring it to the boil in a separate saucepan while the vegetables are cooking.
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Add the sweet potato, garlic and lentils to the bacon and vegetables. Stir for a minute, then pour over the just-boiled stock and add the herbs.
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Season with salt and pepper. Return to the boil – this should be more or less instant – then turn down to a medium heat, cover, and cook for between 15-20 minutes, or until the red lentils are tender.
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Remove the herbs. Blend using a stick-blender if preferred – or you can leave the soup as is. Serve.