Hearty soup filled with vegetables and topped with fresh greens. Perfect for a winter meal.
Hearty Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 oz bacon or prosciutto, diced (optional)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 medium celery stocks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 14.5 oz canned tomatoes (one can), drained
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
- 1½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt (more if leaving out meat)
- ground pepper
- 5-10 ounces fresh greens, spinach or kale, chopped
Directions
- Heat the diced bacon or prosciutto in a large soup pot over medium heat for about 3 minutes. If you are choosing to make vegetarian soup, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pot instead of the bacon.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and tender, but not browned, approximately 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and thyme, cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Increase the heat to high, add wine and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken broth, water and lentils. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
- For a smoother consistency in your soup, remove 3 cups of lentils and blend until smooth, return to the pot.
- Next, stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Heat over medium-low for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the greens to finish the soup, cook stirring occasionally about 3 minutes, until greens are wilted and tender.
Lentil soup refrigerates well. However, make sure to only add the greens to the part of the soup you plan to eat immediately. The greens will taste the best if they are fresh.
Serve with crusty bread drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.