Lentil Soup with Bacon and Cabbage
Why I Love This Recipe
This soup is so wonderful: I got it from "Smartcook Collection: Soup," one of my numerous soup cookbooks. It is hearty and absolutely delicious. The pancetta is what really makes this soup shine. Great reheated for lunch or just as a comfort-food dinner on a cold night!
Ingredients You'll Need
1 TBSP canola oil
4 1/8-inch thick slices of pancetta, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup lentils (Frency Puy lentils, or regular lentils)
1 14-oz can plum tomatoes, chopped or whole
2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
3 14.5-oz cans of vegetable broth
3 cups (or one small head) of Savoy Cabbage, finely shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (substitute 1 TBSP dried parsley flakes)
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the pancetta in it until the fat begins to melt.
Stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. With the heat fairly high, stir the vegetables around in the pan.
Cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are a little brown around the edges (about 6 minutes).
Next, stir in the lentils, the tomatoes (with the liquid from the can), and the pressed garlic. Stir everything together, then pour in the broth.
As soon as the soup comes to a boil, cover and simmer, as gently as possible, until the lentils are tender (30-40 minutes).
Add the cabbage and cook for about 5 minutes until the cabbage wilts. If using dried parsley flakes, add them with the cabbage.
Taste and season with salt and plenty of pepper. If using fresh parsley, add it just before serving.
