We were served a delicious lentil soup at a wine dinner and Linda spent a Saturday afternoon trying to come up with a similar recipe. And she did it – hers was better than the chef’s!
Ingredients:
2 slices thick cut bacon, cut into ½ pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
¾ cup each of coarse chopped carrots and celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1-1/2 cups lentils
8 – 9 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. fresh Thyme, chopped
¾ cup finely diced ham
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
Brown the chopped bacon in large pot for 3 – 4 minutes, then add olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots and celery and continue sautéing over medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes. Add salt, pepper and lentils, sautéing for about 1 minute. Add 8 cups of beef broth (depending on how long you cook the soup and your “thickness” preference, you may want to add some more). Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
At this point we took two cups out and puréed it in a food processor and then blended it back in to smooth things out a little. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with a nice Grenache, Côtes du Rhône or even the Crios Malbec we were reviewing that evening.
We made this last night, substituting chickpeas for the carrots and celery and sliced Merguez sausages for the ham. It was rich and wonderful – a perfect meal for a cold winter night!
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