Recipe For French Lentil Soup

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Place a large saucepan over medium heat, and add oil. Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in carrots, celery, bell pepper, and oregano until combined. Stir in lentils and bulghur wheat.
• Add stock to pot; cover, and simmer over low heat just until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.

FRENCH LENTIL AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, celery, mushrooms, and sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to gently lift up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Add in the vegetable stock, thyme and bay leaves and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Add in the lentils and stir to combine. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, checking back occasionally to stir the soup so that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and balsamic until the spinach begins to wilt. Then give the soup a taste and season with however much salt, black pepper, and/or extra balsamic you think is needed.
• Serve the soup warm,* garnished with an extra crack of black pepper (I also sprinkled some microgreens on top of mine), and enjoy!

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
• While lentils are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes. Cool sausage slightly on a cutting board, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Add sausage to soup and stir in vinegar.

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots; saute until soft and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and fry for 2 more minutes.
• Place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add vegetable mixture, hot water, diced tomatoes with juice, and bay leaf. Cook on High until lentils are tender, 2 or more hours.
• Add bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.