Rib sticking bacon, lentil and pasta soup (serves 4, preparation time 10 minutes, cooking time 40 m
Ingredients:
200 g smoked bacon lardons
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 celery stalk finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
200g green lentils
1.5 litres of stock/bouillon
100g orzo pasta
25g parsley chopped finely
Optional Extras:
This soup could also be a vegetarian option by using a little oil at the start of the process to sweat the vegetables in and omitting the lardons.
You could use other types of pasta but I like the dense quality that orzo brings to the soup.
Here’s what you do:
Step 1 - Cook the lardons, onion, celery, garlic and carrot in a large saucepan so that the vegetables sweat and the lardons crisp up.
Step 2 - Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they are pulpy. Stir in the lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 3 - Add the orzo pasta and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and the serve. Season to taste.
That gives you the basic recipe, but here are some extra tips should you need them:
Kitchen implements required:
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Large saucepan
