Sunset, November 2003
6 slices bacon (total 6 ounces), cut into one-inch pieces
2 onions (1# total), vertically sliced
2 carrots (8 ounces total), sliced
2 stalks celery (6 oz. total), sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups dried lentils (about 1 ½ pounds), rinsed and sorted
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 dried bay leaves
2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes
2 lemons, rinsed and cut into wedges
In an 8-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon until browned, about 2 minutes. Add onions, carrots, and garlic to pan and stir frequently until vegetables are limp, about 10 minutes. Add lentils, parsley, thyme salt, pepper, bay leaves and 9 cups water; bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cover and cook, stirring occasionally until lentils are very tender (about 20 minutes). Add undrained tomatoes and 1 cup water. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the individual servings. Yield: 12 servings of 323 calories each.
Note: I made half this recipe and found it to be plenty for 4 people. I inadvertently used one 14-oz. can of tomatoes instead of 1 28-oz. can. Also forgot the lemon wedges. The soup was great!
