Red Lentil Soup

A winter warmer if ever there was one. Really we are going out of season for soups in this part of the world. although the evenings are still nippy enough to warrant a bowl of this with warm crusty bread for dinner. I have always found Lentil Soup such a comfort food. So easy to make. A complete meal in a bowl it's so thick and filling. I have tried to quantify the ingredients but this to me is more of a chuck in the pot soup. I also use up slightly 'past their best veggies' in it. The smoked bacon is essential though. Wonderful flavour.


Ingredients

250 gms/8 oz smoked streaky bacon
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 medium potato chopped
2 or 3 carrots chopped
2 red/orange/yellow pepper chopped (The more wrinkly they are the sweeter they are)
225g/8oz red lentils
1 teaspoon of paprika
A good pinch of cayenne pepper
A 400g/14oz can of tomatoes
900mls/1 1/2 pints approx. chicken stock (Keep some more to the side in case you find the soup too thick)
Black pepper
A little oil

Add any veggies around that need using up.


Method

Cut up the bacon and fry gently in the oil.
Add onion and spices and cook slowly until soft.
Add the carrots potatoes peppers and tomatoes then the lentils.
Give it all a good stir.
Add the stock and simmer until the lentils are nice and soft.

Using a stick blender, purée the soup.
Add more stock if you find it too thick.

It freezes well too if you are like me and incapable of making a small pot of soup.