Bacon, Poblano & Lentil Soup

I love, love, love this soup. There are so many great flavors going on in one pot, and the smell of the bacon and the poblano together is incredible. This was my first time to cook with lentils and I really liked it! They cook up much quicker than beans and they don't have to be pre soaked.

Bacon, Poblano & Lentil Soup

Lentils are so good for you too. They are full of protein and fiber and they gave this soup such a wonderful, hearty texture. I ended up using my immersion blender* at the end to smooth it out some, but you can see a few whole lentils on the spoon. Cute, huh?

The other reason this soup is so delicious is the spices I put in it. Cumin, smoked paprika and chipotle powder give this soup a wonderful smokey flavor with out it being spicy. If you like a little spice in your life, bump up the chipotle or add some cayenne.

Bacon, Poblano & Lentil Soup

     serves 6

1 large pablano pepper

6 oz thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces

3 carrots, chopped

2 stocks of celery, including leaves, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, diced

8 cups of reduced sodium chicken stock

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder

1 pound of lentils

Turn the broiler on high and place poblano on a small baking sheet. Broil for a few minutes, turning a few times, until all sides are charred. Remove from oven and place poblano in a brown paper bag and fold down the top and let it steam for about 5 minutes. Remove from bag and peal off the charred skin. Remove the stem and seeds and give the pepper a rough chop, and set aside.

In a heavy bottom pot or french oven, cook the chopped bacon for a few minutes over medium heat until the fat begins to render. Add in the carrots, celery and onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and poblano and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook lentils for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Add water if needed. When the lentils are cooked, use immersion blender and blend soup to desired texture. I blended mine about 3/4th the way and left a little unblended so it would have some good texture. Top with Greek yogurt and green onions {optional} or whatever you like.

*Don't worry if you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender for this. Simply ladle the soup in the blender in batches until you've received desired texture.

I used green lentils for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever kind you like. What gives this soup it's rich redish color is the smoked paprika. Mmmm You should really give this a try!! It makes great leftovers too!