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.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: mains, meal prep
Cuisine: British
Servings: 5
Calories: 543kcal
Cost: £0.94
- 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
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!
- 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.
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g