Author Notes: A super cozy, warming yet fresh and healthy soup, if ever there was one. Earthy lentils, verdant, good-for-you kale, and a little salty hit of bacon — so good. As ever, I feel a splash of dry sherry enhances a vegetable-based soup, but it is up to you. This depends on using some good stock; I don’t always make my own, but ensure I buy a quality one. I used chicken stock for this, but you could use a vegetarian stock and omit the bacon to make this vegan. —Anna May
Food52 Review: This soup may be short on ingredients, but it is NOT short on flavor! I was tempted to add a little of this and a little of that, but it’s really not necessary — the soup stands on its own. I used homemade chicken broth and included the optional dry sherry, which I recommend. The only change I made was in the cooking method to cut down on the fat. I baked the bacon and then used 1 tablespoon of the rendered grease to cook the onions, added them in, then proceeded with the recipe. Soup to soothe the tummy and soul! —anotherfoodieblogger
Serves: 2, generously
Ingredients
-
1
tablespoon olive oil
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1
onion, chopped
-
1
splash dry sherry (optional)
-
1
liter stock (chicken or vegetable; see above)
-
100
grams kale, chopped
-
1
sprig thyme, leaves picked
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4
rashers streaky bacon, chopped
-
100
grams Le Puy green lentils
Directions
- Sauté the bacon and onion in the oil until soft. Add the lentils, give them a good stir, then pour in the sherry. Let it sizzle briefly, then pour in the stock and cook until the lentils are done.
- Stir in the kale and thyme leaves and cook for a minute or two, or until the kale is just wilted. Serve with crusty bread.