Easy Hearty Lentil Bacon Soup {Stove Top Recipe}

If you love hearty, comforting soups, this hearty lentil and bacon soup recipe is for you! Full of smoky bacon, red lentils, brown lentils, and warm spices, it’s made with simple ingredients.

It's a great soup for chilly days for the whole family, served with a splash of olive oil and crusty bread.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: british

Keyword: bacon and lentil soup, lentil and bacon soup, lentil soup

Servings: people

Calories: 692kcal

Ingredients

300 g Streaky smoky bacon diced (reserve some for crispy bacon bits garnish)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Carrots Peeled & diced
2 stalks Celery
4 cloves Garlic minced
1 medium Potato peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Tomato puree
400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes
½ teaspoon Ground cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch Chilli flakes (optional)
1 Bay leaf
½ teaspoon Black pepper
Pinch Salt
½ cup Red lentils (100g)
½ cup Brown or green lentils (100g)
1.4 litres Chicken stock (6 cups) or vegetable stock / ham stock cube
½ Lemon juice

Garnish

Fresh parsley

Instructions

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced smoky bacon and fry until the edges are crispy or you can grill them.
Then, scoop out ¼ of the bacon and reserve it for a garnish later.
300 g Streaky smoky bacon
Now add the olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and potato.
Stir and cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any of the flavoursome brown bits and until the vegetables soften.
1 Onion, 2 Carrots, 2 stalks Celery, 4 cloves Garlic, 1 medium Potato, 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Stir in all of the herbs and spices and optional chilli flakes. Cook for about a minute until fragrant.
Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, chicken stock and the bay leaf and bring to a boil briefly.
1 tablespoon Tomato puree, 400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes, ½ teaspoon Ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon Dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, Pinch Chilli flakes, 1 Bay leaf, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, Pinch Salt, ½ cup Red lentils, ½ cup Brown or green lentils, 1.4 litres Chicken stock
Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Then remove the lid and simmer and stir for a final 10 minutes while it thickens, and stir in the lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley and a little bit of bacon you kept back.
½ Lemon, Fresh parsley

Notes

Other Cooking Methods:

Slow cooker option: Cook the smoky bacon first, then add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours.
Instant Pot option: Sauté the smoky bacon and vegetables on medium heat, then add all ingredients and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.

Nutrition