Puy Lentil Soup With Bacon |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 90 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Puy Lentils are apparently known as 'the caviar of the poor' - they haven't seen the price charged for them round here... I have adapted this from a Delia Smith recipe and have also included my way of making ham stock. Read more . The prep time reflects this. This is, I think, my favourite soup and it is not all that unhealthy! This also freezes very well for OAMC. Ingredients:
2 smoked ham houghs (or hocks) - in scotland we pronounce it 'hochhhhs' (using a very guttural germanic sound). i use simon howie houghs which are very smoky indeed. |
bay leaf |
3-4 black peppercorns |
a couple of ham stock cubes. i use knorr's |
4 oz. smoked bacon, chopped fine (i use oscar meyer's streaky) |
2 carrots, very finely chopped |
2 medium onions,very finely chopped |
2 celery stalks, very finely chopped |
7 oz. puy lentils, well rinsed (no need to soak) |
14 oz. tin chopped tomatoes |
4 cloves garlic, crushed |
8 oz. savoy cabbage (the very dark green curly outside leaves), shredded finely |
2 oz. red lentils, well rinsed |
a bunch of fresh curly parsley, finely chopped |
Directions:
1. In a large pot, put in the ham houghs and cover them with water - about 5-6 pints.
2. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and stock cubes.
3. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove any scum which forms on the surface.
4. Remove the ham houghs. When cool, remove the skin, gristle and fat, take the meat off the bones and chop it into soup-size pieces.
5. Take out the peppercorns and bay leaf.
6. Refrigerate the stock overnight.
7. Remove the layer of fat which will have formed on the surface.
8. Filter the stock through a piece of muslin in a large sieve.
9. When ready to make the soup:
10. In a large pan, heat the oil.
11. Add the chopped bacon and fry until brown.
12. Stir in the carrots, onions and celery. Stir around and then cover, and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir now and then.
13. Stir in the Puy lentils, tomatoes and the garlic. Stir well.
14. Pour in 4 pints of ham stock.
15. Bring to the boil then cook at a simmer for 30 minutes.
16. Add the cabbage, the chopped meat from the houghs and the red lentils.
17. Bring to the boil again and then simmer for another 30 minutes.
18. 10 minutes before the end of the time, stir in the parsley.
19. Add more stock if the soup is getting too thick.
20. For extra richness - as if it needed it - you can add some tomato puree.
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