A Soup Of Lentils Bacon And Chard Recipes

LENTIL & BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1 pack of pancetta and the carrot. Cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft.
• Add the cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1 - 2 minutes until the aromas are released.
• Pour in 1.25 litres of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally to ensure the lentils aren't sticking.
• Meanwhile, fry the remaining lardons in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until crispy. You don't need to add any oil as plenty will run from the pancetta.
• Serve the soup with a sprinkle of crispy lardons on top.

FRENCH LENTILS WITH CHARD

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Stir the chard into the simmering lentils. Cook another 10 minutes or so, until the lentils and greens are tender. The chard should be tender but still bright. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the cheese at the table for sprinkling. Alternatively, transfer to an oiled baking dish, top with rounds of goat cheese, crumbled feta or grated Parmesan, and heat through in a medium oven.

CHARD LENTIL SOUP, LEBANESE-STYLE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook lentils in boiling water until beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chard; continue cooking until wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes to the boiling water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are completely cooked, about 12 minutes.
• Mix lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt together in a bowl; add to the pot. Continue to cook at a simmer another 5 minutes. Stir olive oil into the mixture. Increase heat to high and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

LENTIL AND SWISS CHARD SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine.
• Add lentils, 5 cups water, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes. Add chard stalks and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and chard are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice; ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with bread, if desired.

LENTIL, BACON AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Cook and stir carrots and onions in bacon drippings until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme and pepper; cook 1 minute longer., Add stock and wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in butter beans, lentils and bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover; continue simmering until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs if desired.

SLOW COOKER LENTIL SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Rinse lentils well under cold running water. Drain and transfer to a slow cooker. Pour in water until water level is twice as high as lentils. Add bay leaf and set slow cooker to High.
• Meanwhile, heat onion and bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until bacon is crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with garlic powder and transfer bacon-onion mixture to the slow cooker.
• Cook on High until lentils are tender, about 5 hours.

LENTIL SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• In a saucepan, brown the bacon. Remove the bacon and set aside.
• Add onion and carrots, cook 5 minutes.
• Add lentils, chicken broth and bay leaf.
• Let simmer 25 to 30 minutes.
• Add the bacon, cumin and parsley.

MOROCCAN RED LENTIL SOUP WITH CHARD

Steps:

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Saute the onion and carrot over medium-high heat until soft and beginning to brown, 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, chili flakes, and salt. Cook one minute more. Stir in the tomatoes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid has reduced and the tomatoes are soft, 5 minutes.
• Add the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft, 10 minutes. Fold in the chard and cook until wilted, but still vibrant, 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Serve the soup in bowls with a wedge of lemon on the side or a dollop of Greek yogurt.

A SOUP OF LENTILS, BACON, AND CHARD

Steps:

• Peel the onion and chop it finely, then let it soften in a deep pan over medium to low heat with a little olive oil. Peel the garlic, slice it thinly, then add to the onion with the chopped bacon or pancetta. Chop the parsley and stir it in.
• Wash the chard thoroughly, set aside four beautiful stalks and their leaves, then separate the remaining stalks and leaves. Chop the stalks coarsely and set the leaves aside. Add the chopped chard stalks to the onion and bacon and continue cooking,
• Wash the lentils thoroughly, then stir them into the onion and bacon. Pour over the stock or water and bring to a boil, skimming off any froth that comes to the surface. You can add a bay leaf or two if you like. Decrease the heat so that the lentils simmer merrily, then almost cover the pot and simmer until they are tender, but far from collapse-about thirty minutes, depending on your lentils.
• Tear the reserved chard leaves up a bit. Stir them into the soup. Steam the reserved whole leaves and stalks until tender.
• Season the soup with salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and the mint leaves, tasting as you go. Ladle the hot soup into warm bowls, add the steamed chard, and serve with more lemon and mint for those who want it.