Lentil soup is one of the most common soup of Turkish cuisine. But not like this! Not with the addition of bacon!

I generally do not like mixing vegetables and meat, I may have said it before. But this recipe was too good not to try, the meat amount was not so much and I had finally found some smoked bacon in Stockmann’s deli. If you cannot find smoked bacon or if you do not want to use bacon, you can use a type of sausage you like. You can also completely take away the meat part.

 

 

The recipe belongs to Jamie Oliver. In the original recipe there is also celery sticks but I just did not want to add celery to this. Besides, in the vegetable broth that I used, there is already celery, and I thought that it was enough. BUT, in case you want to add some celery sticks, you can use 2 of them and you add in step 2 below, together with carrots.

 

 

One other thing that would go great with this soup is, of course, bread. If you have some nice freshly crispy bread, maybe with the addition of a little butter spread on it, I believe it would be heavenly.

 

The winter continues, and this soup is perfect for a cozy afternoon. Try it, and you will be happy!
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Ingredients:
(serves 6)

 

6 strips of smoked bacon
2 red onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml dried thyme
1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml dried red pepper
100 gr. red lentils
100 gr. green lentils
1 lt vegetable broth
400 gr. / 1 can cooked white beans
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

 

To serve (optional):
fresh parsley
drizzle of olive oil

 

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1. In a pan, put olive oil and smoked bacon. Saute the bacon in medium heat until it gets crispy.

 

 

 

 

2. Add dried thyme, dried red pepper, onion, garlic and carrot. Close the lid and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, in medium low heat, until the vegetables are tender. Stir it every now and then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Add washed and drained red and green lentils and the broth. Stir a little and cook in medium low heat until broth starts boiling and lentils are cooked. With the lentils I used, it took 35 minutes in total to cook.

 

 

 

 

4. Once the broth is boiling and lentils are cooked, add beans. Stir a little and cook for 10 more minutes in medium low heat.

 

 

 

5. Add black pepper and salt, stir a little and cook for 2-3 more minutes in medium low.

 

 

 

 

6. Take the soup away from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh parsley leaves.