Perfect lentil soups - vegetarian soup with options for meat lovers

Lentil soup is hard to argue with.  It's great in the summer; it's great in the spring; it's great in the fall; and it's almost a staple in the winter months.  They're also inexpensive almost beyond belief, come in a wide variety of colors (with slightly different textures and extremely similar flavors), and widely available, particularly in bulk where even greater savings can be had.  Earth Fare and the Knoxville Food Co-op, for instances, have a decent variety of bulk lentils at great (low, low) prices.

Being legumes, lentils get something of a bad rap in the flavor department, and admittedly, unless they're dressed up a little, they can come out a bit bland.  Done correctly, however, lentils are extremely good, not to mention nutritious being high in a variety of nutrients, high in fiber, high in iron, and decent in protein and healthy carbs.  As far as dried-bean-like ingredients go, lentils are probably about the easiest to work with too since they can be but don't require long soaks before they're used.

The tricks to a really good soup, particularly with a famously unflavorful base ingredient like lentils (as comapred with, say, venison, beef, lamb, pork, or bacon) really boil down to cooking them right and dressing them up, much like you'd dress a salad.  Use good seasonings like herbs and some spices, and then think along the lines of great salad....  Indeed, oil and vinegar are almost critical to a great lentil soup experience, but they must be done right.  Oil rounds out a soup and gives it a hearty, fulfilling body.  Vinegar perks it up, giving it a bright, cheery acidity that plays well on the palate. 

The two, oil and vinegar, balance one another very well because acidity cuts through fat, and they're a great idea to use at the end to achieve the perfect bowl of soup.  Just remember that either (or both) can be overdone, and the cardinal rule of cooking is you can add, but you cannot take away.  Thus, add a little at a time, let the flavors mingle, and then try it.  When it's where you want it, stop.  Simple enough.  Notice that this process requires tasting the soup before it's in the bowl.  If you're not doing this already, then either you're incredibly skilled, incredibly lucky, or you're not making good soup.

If you choose to soak your lentils, then do so in cold water for 3-6 hours before you want to use them, or simply soak them overnight.  This will greatly speed the cooking process, though it doesn't really need speeding, especially since good soups require time to simmer.  If you don't soak your lentils, expect to let them simmer a bit more vigorously, at a low boil, for the first 30-60 minutes of cooking.  This has the added benefit of really softening up those carrots that really should be in good lentil soup.

Ingredients:

1. About a cup or cup and a half of lentils, any kind or a blend is fine -- rinsed or soaked;
2. Two or three carrots, scrubbed and cut into half-inch cubes or quarters;
3. One medium sweet or red onion, diced;
4. Two ribs of celery, washed and diced;
5. Several (3-6, by taste) cloves of garlic, crushed and diced;
6. Several (3-6, by taste) bay leaves;
7. A few sprigs of your favorite fresh herbs or about a teaspoon of the same dried, great examples are parsley, rosemary, and thyme (finely chopped);
8. 1 1/2 quarts of good stock, broth, or water, (or a mix of those) in decreasing order of goodness;
9. Salt, black pepper, decent (red wine) vinegar, and olive oil (to taste);
10. Optionally, add half a cup of red wine;
11. For really good lentil soup, if you want that flavor, use several strips of bacon or pancetta as well;
12. For meaty soup, add 1/2 pound of your favorite meat to the recipe;
13. Optionally, a very healthy dash (approx. 1 tbsp) of hot sauce of your choice.
14. Optionally, for a more balanced soup nutritionally and a nice flavor and texture, add 1/4 c. wild rice.

Directions:

1. If you're using bacon or pancetta, start there by cooking it fairly well in the pan, starting cold and then setting it on medium or medium-low heat.  It takes longer to cook but renders out more of the fat.  When cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
2. If you're using meat, brown the meat in the pan as well, over somewhat higher heat, and then set it aside as well.  If the meat is a roast, stew meat, or any other kind of
3. If no bacon was used, add several tablespoons of oil or butter to the pan and begin to saute the vegetables, except the garlic, over medium-high heat.  Continue until the onions begin to sweat or start to become translucent (5-6 minutes).
4. Salt the vegetables and add the garlic and bay leaves.  Let cook for 1-2 minutes longer, stirring.
5. Deglaze the pan (particularly if bacon or other meats are involved) by splashing some vinegar or adding the optional red wine to the pan and scraping the bottom clean.  If the meat you're using is a slow-cooking meat (like ox tails, shanks, hocks, stew meat, or cut from a roast), add them now as well.  Do not add the bacon yet!
6. Add the stock, broth, or water, and stir.  Then add the lentils and wild rice (if included).  Stir well and cover the pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape.
7. When the pot begins to boil, reduce the heat.  If the lentils were only rinsed, maintain at least medium heat for 30-45 minutes to break them down faster, after which you can consider them "soaked."  If the lentils were soaked, reduce the heat to medium-low heat.
8. Let the mixture simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, to your preference in texture -- firmer lentils will be ready after 30-45 minutes and they will become softer until they break down completely after 2-3 hours.  The texture you're after is up to you!
9. Add back in the bacon and fresh (or dried) herbs.  Remove the bay leaves and any bones.  Salt and pepper the whole pot (you'll need about a tablespoon of salt or so to get started unless your stock or broth had salt, in which case taste first).
10. Let the flavors mingle and taste the soup.  For more fullness, add olive oil or butter, a half tablespoon at a time, and roughly the same amount of good vinegar (red wine is quite appropriate).  Stir and let it cook for 2-3 minutes and taste it again.  If the soup tastes kind of flat, add additional vinegar a half tablespoon at a time.  Vinegar brightens the flavor and cuts the fat; oil gives it a more full taste.
11. Repeat Step 10 until you like it a lot, adding a little salt or pepper if desired as well.
12. Serve with finely diced sweet onion or spring onions on top.  Garnish with finely chopped chives or parsley.

It's worth noting that cabbage can be a very nice addition to lentil soup.  If you're using a firm cabbage like red or green cabbage, it's your option as to when to add it.  Added early, it will become very soft and pleasant, and much of the "cabbage" taste will be muted.  Some people prefer this.  Added near the end of the cooking, so it only cooks for 10-20 minutes, it will retain much of its firmness and robust cabbage flavor without being overpowering.  It's a matter of personal taste.

Buy it locally!  Lentils in a variety of types and colors are available in bulk at the two Knoxville locations of Earth Fare and at the Knoxville Food Co-Op.  Bulk is by far the best way to purchase lentils, and the price cannot be beaten.

For more great recipes and cooking ideas, follow the Knoxville Gourmet Food Examiner by subcribing at the top of the page. You can also read more on his personal cooking blog: The Untrained Gourmet.