Name: Chef John's Black Lentil Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Vegetable oil - 2 teaspoons; Bacon, chopped - 4 ounces; Chopped yellow onion - 1 cup; Diced carrots - 1 cup; Diced celery - 1 cup; Salt and ground black pepper to taste - 1 cup; Ground cumin - ½ teaspoon; Dried thyme - ¼ teaspoon; Cayenne pepper, or to taste - 1 pinch; Black beluga lentils - 1 ¼ cups; Chicken broth, or as needed - 5 cups; Bay leaf - 1; Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided - ¼ cup; Extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed - 1 teaspoon

Recipe information

Cooking:

20 min.

Servings per container:

Source:

More details

Ingredients for - Chef John's Black Lentil Soup

1. Vegetable oil - 2 teaspoons

2. Bacon, chopped - 4 ounces

3. Chopped yellow onion - 1 cup

4. Diced carrots - 1 cup

5. Diced celery - 1 cup

6. Salt and ground black pepper to taste - 1 cup

7. Ground cumin - ½ teaspoon

8. Dried thyme - ¼ teaspoon

9. Cayenne pepper, or to taste - 1 pinch

10. Black beluga lentils - 1 ¼ cups

11. Chicken broth, or as needed - 5 cups

12. Bay leaf - 1

13. Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided - ¼ cup

14. Extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed - 1 teaspoon

How to cook deliciously - Chef John's Black Lentil Soup

1. Stage

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir bacon in hot oil until bacon is browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt; cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Season with black pepper, cumin, thyme, and cayenne pepper.

2. Stage

Pour lentils into bacon mixture and stir to coat completely in rendered bacon fat. Add chicken broth and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, adding more chicken broth as needed, until lentils are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Stage

Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Add 3 tablespoons parsley and stir. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle remaining parsley over the top and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.