Classic French Lentil Soup with Crispy Bacon: A Hearty and Velvety Delight
Imagine a soup so comforting, so deeply flavorful, yet elegant enough to grace any dinner table. This French lentil soup with bacon is exactly that. Its structure is wonderfully velvety, each spoonful bursts with rich savory notes, and the crisp, salty bacon offers the perfect textural contrast and a finishing touch of indulgence. More than just a simple soup, this recipe embodies the heart of French cuisine: a commitment to quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and exquisite taste. Prepare to impress your palate and your guests with this truly delicious and satisfying dish.
The Essence of French Cuisine: A Philosophy of Flavor and Finesse
When we speak of “French cuisine,” what truly comes to mind? It’s more than just a collection of dishes; it’s a philosophy. Given France’s vastness, there isn’t a single, monolithic “French cuisine.” Instead, the country boasts a rich tapestry of regional culinary traditions, each contributing unique flavors and ingredients that collectively form what we recognize as French cooking. For example, in the North, you’ll find a generous use of cream, butter, and apples, reflecting the region’s agricultural bounty. Journey to the South, and the landscape shifts to olive oil, sun-ripened tomatoes, and fragrant Mediterranean herbs. Almost every region proudly features its own local, special products, making French cuisine incredibly diverse and rich.
Is there a common thread, a quintessential characteristic that unites these diverse regional approaches? Absolutely. The French have an unwavering appreciation for high-quality food and a strong preference for local and regional products as the foundation of their meals. They cherish the art of preparing meals from scratch, valuing authenticity and flavor over convenience. This isn’t merely about cooking; it’s about a deep respect for ingredients and a dedication to the culinary process. In this sense, French cuisine is a perfect fit for our blog’s ethos, which champions homemade goodness and celebrating the natural flavors of food. Our French lentil soup recipe, with its simple yet robust ingredients, perfectly captures this spirit.
A Culinary Inspiration: Exploring the Amuse-Bouche Cookbook
Review: Amuse-Bouche by Tratemento Rick and Mary Goodbody
This exquisite French lentil soup finds its inspiration, in part, from the pages of the renowned cookbook, “Amuse-Bouche” by Tratemento Rick and Mary Goodbody. The concept of an “amuse-bouche” itself is deeply French—a small, flavorful bite designed to “amuse the mouth,” invigorate the palate, and whet the appetite before the main course. It’s about delivering a burst of taste sensations using only the finest ingredients, setting the tone for the meal to come.
The “Amuse-Bouche” cookbook is a treasure trove of approximately 50 recipes, thoughtfully organized by seasons and diverse appetizer categories, including soups, vegetables, pasta, fish, meat, spoon amuses, juice amuses, foam amuses, and savory bites. As the authors themselves explain, these aren’t just appetizers; they are carefully crafted culinary jewels meant to awaken your senses and provide memorable taste experiences. Diving into this book means embracing a world where quality ingredients are paramount, and even the smallest dish is a work of art.
Pros of the Amuse-Bouche Cookbook:
- Exquisitely Tasteful Dishes: Every recipe I’ve tried from this book has been exceptionally delicious, consistently making a great impression. The flavor profiles are sophisticated yet achievable, proving that an amuse-bouche is far from simple in its impact.
- Clear and Detailed Descriptions: The instructions are precise and easy to follow, making even complex-sounding dishes accessible to home cooks. This clarity is invaluable for mastering new techniques and building confidence in the kitchen.
- Rich Background Information: Beyond just recipes, the book provides fascinating insights into the dishes, their flavor combinations, and expert serving suggestions. This contextual knowledge enhances the entire cooking and dining experience, allowing you to truly understand the “why” behind each preparation.
- Introduction to Novel Techniques: It introduces less familiar culinary methods, such as foaming, in an approachable manner, encouraging cooks to expand their skills and creativity without feeling intimidated.
- Surprising Flavor Combinations: The book excels at pairing ingredients in unexpected ways, leading to truly surprising and utterly delightful taste sensations that elevate simple ingredients into something extraordinary.
Downsides to Consider:
- Ingredient Sourcing: The authors prioritize the highest quality and often unique ingredients, which can sometimes be challenging to source depending on your location. However, this also encourages exploring specialty stores and farmers’ markets, broadening your culinary horizons.
- Time Investment: While the recipes are not inherently difficult, they often require a dedicated amount of time for preparation. This reflects the book’s commitment to culinary excellence over speed, an investment that ultimately pays off in flavor.
- Measurement System: The recipes primarily use cups instead of grams. This might require conversion for those accustomed to metric measurements, especially for precise baking or cooking, which could be a minor inconvenience.
Despite these minor considerations, the “Amuse-Bouche” cookbook is unequivocally a winner. It’s a resource I frequently turn to when I want to create dishes that truly shine, especially for dinner parties where I aim to impress. For cooks looking to elevate their culinary game and master the art of refined appetizers, this book comes highly recommended. I proudly give it an 8.5 out of 10! If you’re eager to add this inspiring collection to your kitchen library, you can easily acquire it via Amazon.com.
It’s a good taste!
Mastering Your French Lentil Soup: Tips and Variations for Perfection
Creating the perfect French lentil soup involves a few key steps to ensure that velvety texture and rich flavor. The process begins with carefully preparing your ingredients, particularly the foundational mirepoix of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. These humble vegetables, gently sautéed in the savory bacon fat, create a depth of flavor that is essential to French cooking. Don’t rush this step; allowing them to soften and release their aromas is crucial. For the lentils, green lentils (like Le Puy lentils, if you can find them) are ideal for their firm texture and peppery flavor, which holds up beautifully in the soup.
Achieving Velvety Smoothness and Crispy Bacon Perfection
The hallmark of this soup is its delightful, smooth consistency. To achieve this, a high-quality blender is your best friend. After the lentils have simmered until tender, blend the soup until it’s completely smooth. For an extra touch of refinement and to eliminate any remaining fibrous bits, straining the soup through a fine-mesh sieve is highly recommended. This extra step ensures that luxurious, velvety mouthfeel that sets this soup apart. Meanwhile, the bacon plays a crucial role not only in flavor but also in texture. Starting the bacon on low heat allows its fat to render slowly, then increasing the heat ensures it crisps up beautifully. Drain it on kitchen paper to maintain its crunch and prevent sogginess when sprinkled over the finished soup.
Consider enhancing the aromatics with a bay leaf or a sprig of fresh thyme added to the pot with the lentils and water. Remember to remove them before blending. For a vegetarian variation, simply omit the bacon and use olive oil to sauté the vegetables, adding a touch of smoked paprika for depth. A splash of red wine or a dollop of crème fraîche swirled in before serving can also elevate the flavors, offering a slightly tangy richness. This soup is versatile and forgiving, allowing you to adapt it to your taste while maintaining its core French elegance and charm.
The Recipe: French Lentil Soup with Bacon
Adapted from Amuse-Bouche
Did you make this French lentil soup with bacon? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram or Twitter. I love it when you make one of my recipes and I’m looking forward to look it up. You can also share your recipes on my Facebook channel or pin this recipe on Pinterest so you can find it easy next time. See you soon!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Andréa
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Ingredients
- 30 grams bacon, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon carrot , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon celery , finely chopped
- 50 grams green lentils , rinsed, soaked (1 night) and drained
- 500 mL water
- salt and pepper , at taste
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
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Put the bacon in a saucepan and put it on low heat, until grease begins to be released.
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Increase the heat and then fry the bacon until crispy.
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Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
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Put the same pan back on low heat, add the onion, carrot and celery.
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Toss well ( so that the delicious taste of bacon inherits) and cook, while stirring for 5 minutes.
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Add the lentils, scoop them around and then add the water.
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Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender about 20 minutes.
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Puree the soup in a blender and strain the soup in the sieve.
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Put everything back in the pan and on the stove until it is hot. Spoon the soup into a bowl and sprinkle bacon on top.
Nutrition
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