I’m happy that all the cold, rainy days here in usually sunny southern California is helping to end the brutal drought we’ve suffered from for far too long.
But, this weather has caused me to crave hearty soups. I recently shared my recipe for Spicy Bean Soup and now I’m back at it with this recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine.
Aromatic vegetables, bacon, and red wine give this soup a pleasing depth of flavor, while the lentils give this soup protein and a healthy fiber boost.
I hope you enjoy this peasant dish with its earthy air!
Please use the Comments section below to tell me what you think of this recipe!
While delicious immediately, this soup tastes even better if it's prepared a day ahead. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, most of them are pantry items — most of the work is in preparing the vegetables and that goes pretty quickly. Start testing the doneness of the lentils after it simmers for 45 minutes — you want the lentils to have a slight bite left in them — mushy lentils just don't cut it! © The Working Lunch Project
Prep Time | 20 minutes |
Cook Time | 45-60 minutes |
Servings |
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Ingredients
- 3 (4 if bacon is thin) slices of bacon
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 large white onion peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks of celery with leaves washed and tough strings removed with a vegetable peeler
- 4 large cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 cup brown lentils picked through for any pebbles and rinsed
- 4 large (or, 6 medium) carrots peeled and sliced on a diagonal, 1/4 inch thick
- 5 cups beef broth
- 2 cups Burgundy wine (or other, full-bodied red wine)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon beef base concentrate for testing purposes, I used Better Than Bouillon brand
- 1 tablespoon double-strength tomato paste for testing purposes, I used Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
- 2 tabllespoons sodium-free seasoning for testing purposes, I used Spike (the sodium-free version)
- 2 teaspoons sodium-free beef broth powder for testing purposes, I used 2 envelopes Herb Ox Beef Flavor Bouillon - Sodium Free
- 2 teaspoons salt free Italian seasoning for testing purposes, I used The Spice Hunter's salt free Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt for testing purposes, I used VegeSal
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium (or, 2 large) dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt to be added at the end of cooking the soup, if needed
Ingredients
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Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the bacon strips until browned and remove to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon fat in the pan, and leaving the heat on.
- To the hot bacon fat add the cabbage, onion, and celery, cooking until vegetables are wilted. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
- Crumble into the pot the reserved, cooked bacon and add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the red wine vinegar and garlic salt.
- Bring the soup to a boil, cover partially, and simmer on medium low 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to start tasting the lentils after 45 minutes to test for a firm, but not crunchy, doneness.
- When the lentils are cooked, add the red wine vinegar. Taste the soup to see if more salt is needed, and if so, add the garlic salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional facts per serving:
282 calories
4g fat
1,059mg sodium
27g carbs
7g fiber
9g protein
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