Lentil Soup With Cauliflower And Bacon

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup lentils
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• 9 cups water
• 1 (1 1/2 lb) cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Recipe

• 1 in a large pot, cook the bacon strips until crisp. remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• 2 discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat or, if there's less than 2 tablespoons, add enough olive oil to make up the amount.
• 3 reduce the heat to moderately low. add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• 4 add the lentils, salt, pepper, rosemary, bay leaf, and water to the pot. bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
• 5 add the cauliflower florets and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer. remove the bay leaf.
• 6 stir the parsley into the soup. serve the soup topped with the bacon.
• 7 variation: substitute broccoli florets for the cauliflower. add them after the lentils have cooked for about twenty-five minutes and then simmer until the broccoli is tender, five to ten minutes longer.