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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Hearty Soup For A Cold Night

Baby it's cold outside!  When the temperature outside drops, there's nothing quite like a warm bowl of soup.  This soup is one of my favorites.

  
Hearty Lentil Soup With Spinach (from Cooks Illustrated)
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

Ingredients


3slices bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
2medium carrots , peeled and chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1bay leaf
1teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1cup lentils (7 ounces), rinsed and picked over
1teaspoon table salt
ground black pepper
1/2cup dry white wine
4 1/2cups low sodium chicken broth 
1 1/2cups water
1 1/2teaspoons balsamic vinegar
5ounces baby spinach

Instructions

  1. 1. Fry bacon in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to simmer. Add chicken broth and water; bring to boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard bay leaf.
  2. 2. Puree 3 cups soup in blender until smooth, then return to pot; stir in vinegar and heat soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue to heat soup, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes; serve.







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