Easy Bacon & Lentil Soup
This bacon and lentil soup is the perfect cold-weather accompaniment. This tasty, comforting soup is simple, easy, and ready in less than an hour.
Servings: 5
Calories: 543kcal
Cost: £0.94
Ingredients
- 500 g carrots, peeled and diced (£0.30)
- 1 onion, diced (£0.10)
- 300 g cooking bacon, chopped (£0.90)
- 3 celery stalks (£0.75)
- 350 g red lentils (£1.50)
- 5 dollops of sour cream (£0.75)
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (£0.39)
- Optional parsley to garnish
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1.5 litre vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
Instructions
- Start by adding the bacon to a non-stick frying pan over a low/medium heat with half of the oil. Gently fry to allow the bacon fat to render out of the bacon.
- After the bacon has been frying for around 10 minutes, or until crispy, remove one third of the bacon and add the carrot, onion and celery to the pan.
- Season generously with salt and pepper and continue to fry for 7 minutes. Then, add the garlic to fry for 2 minutes before adding the lentils and stock.
- Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. When the timer has 5 more minutes to go, add the paprika and Worcester sauce.
- Top with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of the reserved crispy bacon, a crack of black pepper and dig in!
Notes
- Before starting the bacon and lentil soup, carefully sift through lentils to remove any debris or small rocks that may be present.
- Eliminate additional dust and debris by rinsing lentils thoroughly with cold water.
- Improve bacon crisping by chopping it into small, even-sized pieces with kitchen scissors before adding to the pan.
- Ensure uniform cooking by chopping vegetables into equal-sized pieces, preventing uneven texture in the final dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g