Chef John's Black Lentil Soup

Name: Chef John's Black Lentil Soup
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 4 ounces bacon, chopped; 🧅 1 cup chopped yellow onion; 🥕 1 cup diced carrots; 1 cup diced celery; 🧂 Salt and ground black pepper, to taste; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1 ¼ cups black beluga lentils; 🍗 5 cups chicken broth, or as needed; 1 bay leaf; ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided; 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

Cost $12, save $8

Source: Recommended by CookPal

65 Min
4 Servings
$12

Chef John's Black Lentil Soup

Cost $12, save $8

Source: Recommended by CookPal

65 Min
4 Servings
$12

INGREDIENTS

Primary Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 4 ounces bacon, chopped
- 🧅 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 🥕 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 🧂 Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 ¼ cups black beluga lentils
- 🍗 5 cups chicken broth, or as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

STEPS

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir bacon in hot oil until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, celery, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Season with black pepper, cumin, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Stir everything well.

Pour lentils into bacon mixture and stir until completely coated in rendered bacon fat.

Add chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, adding more chicken broth as needed, until lentils are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir in 3 tablespoons parsley.

Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle remaining parsley over top, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

NUTRIENTS

Per 1 serving

🔥

329

Calories

20
Protein
44
Carbs
8
Fats

💡 Use black beluga lentils instead of green for a more robust texture.Make a vegetarian version by substituting bacon with smoked paprika and chicken broth with vegetable broth.Bay leaf adds a subtle flavor to the soup, but you can skip it if unavailable.