Lentil soup is delicious and great for substitutions and variations! In this classic lentil soup recipe, we opted for a tomato-y broth, Genoa salami, and lacinato kale, but your options are basically endless. You can keep it vegetarian and add mushrooms, leave out the tomatoes and add a variety of spices and your favorite veggies, or add ground meat and make it more of a lentil chili. We usually make it different every time.
Classic Lentil Soup Recipe
We chose to do a classic lentil soup recipe because it’s a great starting point. But it’s also just a guide and not set in stone as the only way to make lentil soup.
Building a Tasty Base
For our version here, we start with crisping up some smoky bacon, followed by sweating the classic onion, carrot, and celery trio to bring a deep flavor to the broth without altering its color. Garlic and tomato paste then join the mix as we build this robust base.
A Little Liquid Before the Flood
We then add wine, deglazing the pan and incorporating all of those browned bits back into the sauce. Canned whole tomatoes are next. Add them one by one, breaking them up a little with your hand. Be sure to add the liquid from the can as well. Simmer this for a few minutes and let the sauce thicken a little and concentrate the tomato flavor.
Add the Rest and Cook!
We then add the lentils, chicken stock, and a fragrant herbal bouquet complete with thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, and parsley. Now as usual, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and let it cook! Lentils do take a little bit of time to cook, so now’s a great time to check on that sourdough loaf you’re baking to go with this.
Some Last Minute Veg
After the lentils are tender, it’s time for the final preparations. The herb bundle’s job is done, so remove it from the pot. Canned chopped tomatoes and cooking greens, adding brightness and texture, are the last part to this tasty soup. Just simmer these until the greens are wilted. Now it’s time to adjust the seasoning and serve!
But remember, this recipe’s just the starting point, not the end. So, let this recipe be your guide. Experiment, substitute, create. For in the world of lentil soup, your imagination is the only limit.
Classic Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- Kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 pound salami, quartered and sliced 1 cm thick
- 1 lb dried brown lentils
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 sage sprig
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 parsley stems
- 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 1 bunch lacinato kale or Swiss chard, trimmed and roughly chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 2 Reduce the heat to low and add the onion, diced carrot, and celery. Season with salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3 Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping until all the solids are integrated into the liquid. Simmer until liquid is almost gone, about 2 minutes. Add the whole tomatoes and their juices, breaking them up slightly in your hand as you add them. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4 Add the salami, lentils, and chicken stock. Tie the thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves, parsley stems, with twine and add to the pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, and cook, covered, until the lentils are tender, about 90 minutes.
- Step 5 Remove the herb bundle. Add chopped tomatoes and greens and cook, covered, until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.
