Hearty lentil and bacon soup recipe
Created by The Tesco Recipes team
This wonderful, comforting soup is packed with smoky bacon and creamy red lentils. Enjoy with a thick slice of wholemeal bread for a warming winter meal.
See method- Serves 4
- 5 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook
- 230 calories / serving
- Freezable
Ingredients
- 6 rashers smoked back bacon, rind trimmed off
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre (1 3/4pints) vegetable stock
- crusty bread, to serve
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 970kJ 230.0kcal
- Fat
- 6g
- Saturates
- 1g
- Salt
- 3.0g
- Sugars
- 10g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 32.8gProtein 14.1gFibre 3.5g
Method
- Cut the trimmed bacon into 2cm pieces. Put theolive oilin a large saucepan set over a low-medium heat and add the bacon, onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently for 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Stir in the garlic and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Add the redlentils, followed by the tinned tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat slightly. Cover with a lid and leave the soup to simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and the soup has thickened. If it looks too thick or starts to catch on the base, add a little water. Season to taste, remembering the bacon and stock are already quite salty. At this stage you can liquidise the soup, if you like, or leave it chunky.
- Serve with crusty bread.
- Cook's tip: For a tasty garnish, reserve some of the chopped bacon. Fry in a little oil until crispy and then sprinkle on top of each bowlful.
- See more Soup recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Make the soup, then leave to cool at room temperature. Freeze (without garnishes or toppings) in a rigid container, leaving a bit of space for expansion, for up to 1-3 months. Reheat either from frozen or defrost in the fridge overnight. Once piping hot, add toppings or garnishes and serve.
- For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
