How Long Does It Take To Cook French Green Lentils

Chockfull of vegetables and bacon, this lentil soup is a hearty and healthy meal unto itself.

Whether you're looking to eat better in the new year or chase away the winter doldrums (I need to do both), this lentil soup is just the ticket. I love it for its many layers of flavor: the smokiness of the bacon, earthiness of the lentils, and sweetness of the vegetables. The key to success is to use French lentils. These small green lentils hold their shape when cooked and thicken the soup without turning it to sludge (which is, sadly, the fate of most lentil soups).

What you'll need to make French Lentil soup

You can find French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, in the bulk section at Whole Foods or other specialty food shops. You can also order them online (affiliate link). They are definitely worth going out of your way to find but if you can't get them, go ahead and use common green or brown lentils; Just watch the cooking time carefully as they can get mushy. Whereas the French green lentils will need to simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, common green or brown lentils will need just 20 to 25 minutes.

While I love the flavor that bacon lends to this soup, if you don't eat pork or are a vegetarian, you can omit the bacon. The soup will still be delicious but you might add a pinch of smoked paprika to mimic the smoky flavor of the bacon.

How to make French Lentil soup

Begin with the prep. I like to chop the bacon, onions, and celery very fine, so they aren't too discernible in the finished soup. However, I keep the carrots a bit larger so they don't disappear.

To make the bacon easy to dice, wrap the slices you need in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. They will be a bit stiffer when you remove them and much easier easier to cut.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Don't be tempted to discard the bacon fat before you add the vegetables to the pot; you'll need to cook the vegetables and it also adds flavor.

Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.

Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 45 to 50 minutes (less for common lentils).

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup a little bit at a time until the broth is slightly thickened. Go easy — if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don't have an immersion blender, simply transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.

Season to taste and adjust the consistency if necessary (the soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add some water).

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

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French Lentil Soup

Chockfull of vegetables and bacon, this lentil soup is a hearty and healthy meal unto itself.

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
• 1 cup French lentils (lentilles du Puy), or common brown or green lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• A few tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 45 to 50 minutes (less for common lentils). Fish out the bay leaves and discard.
2. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until the broth is slightly thickened, or to desired consistency. (Be careful not to purée too much or the soup will get too thick, and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils.) If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, then return the blended soup to the pot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve. (Note: The soup may thicken as it sits; thin with a bit of water if necessary.)
3. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

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• Per serving (6 servings)
• Serving size: about 1 3/4 cups each
• Calories: 318
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Sugar: 8g
• Fiber: 12g
• Protein: 17g
• Sodium: 878mg
• Cholesterol: 17mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

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• Make-Ahead
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• Bacon
• Carrots
• Celery
• Comfort Food
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• Lentils
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• Winter

Comments

January 7, 2020

How Long Does It Take To Cook French Green Lentils

Source: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-lentil-and-vegetable-soup-with-bacon.html

Posted by: batemanknotlexcel.blogspot.com

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