Spinach, lentil and bacon soup
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 500g fresh spinach
- 250g puy lentils (tinned or dried)
- 8 slices of lean bacon
- 2 onions, peeled
- 1 leek, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and trimmed
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp low fat crème fraîche
Method
- Chop onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic.
- Heat oil and sweat vegetables in a pan until soft.
- Add lentils and stock and simmer until lentils are soft.
- Drain and reserve stock.
- Blend lentils and vegetables together, return to the pan and season.
- Blanch spinach in boiling salted water, drain and pulse-chop in a food processor.
- Stir into the lentil and veg mix.
- Return stock to the pan make a thick consistency.
- Reheat.
- Stir in crème fraiche and season.
- Grill bacon until crisp, chop and serve over soup.