This bacon lentil soup is a wonderful, filling soup that will warm you up on a cold day.
I like to call this soup comfort food in a bowl. I could live on this soup…it is that good! Smokey flavors combine with lentils and fresh vegetables, all in under 30 minutes!
One of the dishes Mr. Fearless Dining and I tried was an incredible lentil soup with bacon. (Unfortunately, the owners of Hult’s Restaurant changed the theme of the restaurant to mirror their successful restaurant, Flight’s…we will miss it!)
The flavors in this bacon lentil soup just explode in your mouth, this soup was so good! I knew I needed to try to recreate this recipe at home. Note, I did cheat and use turkey bacon to make the dish a little healthier, but it is also delicious with regular bacon. This is a kid-friendly soup recipe that will become popular in your house.
Lentil soup is comfort food in our house because this soup is hot, thick and creamy. (My kids think it is the bacon that makes it comfort-like, I haven’t told them this soup is healthy!)”
What kind of lentil to use in this recipe:
Any type of lentil would work in this recipe, but I highly recommend using black lentils because they hold their shape better than orange and green lentils.
Lentils are not always easy to cook with but these handy tips will help you make lentils perfect every time.
Are Lentils Healthy?
One of the things I love about this soup is that there are so many health benefits to using lentils. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, but they aid in heart health, digestive health, and they even stabilize blood sugar.
You are going to love this easy bacon lentil soup recipe. Try a dollop of sour cream and a little cilantro on top.
How to clean lentils:
Lentils need to be rinsed before adding them to the pot. I use a strainer to rinse the lentils. Look for any small rocks or debris! (It is funny I have never found a small pebble in my lentils, but every bag has this in the instructions so it must happen occasionally.)
**Update, readers have written in to tell me that this lentil and bacon soup recipe freezes really well!
More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try:
- Ground Pork Chili Mac Soup
- Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup by Accidentally Crunchy
- Creamy Quick and Easy Pumpkin Soup
- Country Hamburger Soup
How to make bacon lentil soup:
Hearty Lentil Soup with Bacon
Nutritious and delicious lentil and bacon soup.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 carrots, diced
- 2 parsnips, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 cup black lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 quart low sodium chicken broth, I used Trader Joe's
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 6 pieces cooked turkey bacon, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat.
- Add onion, carrot, and parsnip and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add chopped turkey bacon and cook another 3-4 minutes.
- Add lentils, broth, water, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 8 minutes then turn heat to low.
- Cook until lentils are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 128 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 9mg Sodium: 295mg Carbohydrates: 16g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 4g Protein: 8g
Jhoei
I love bacon and I will definitely try this one. This is perfect for rainy days to keep us warm.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much.
Bianca
I love that it’s healthy and warm at the same time. Great recipes, I will definitely try this.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Bianca 🙂
Dana DeVolk
LOVE lentil soup, trying this recipe immediately!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you Dana 🙂
Helene
I just made something similar yday, just that I didn’t have bacon in the house. However, my mum would always make a lentil pot on Saturdays with one big bacon but the bacon was a whole piece, cooked in the lentils to give flavor and was not crispy. I would never eat that bacon because it was one big piece and wobbly and I don’t like that. But I think I will try to cut it small and add it to the pot or maybe fry it crispy first to add to the lentils.
Your lentil soup will be part of the meal plan soon. 🙂
Sandi Gaertner
I love hearing how your mum made this Helene. If I didn’t cut the bacon, my kids would fight over the one piece LOL. Have a wonderful holiday!
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner?
I LOVE lentil soup and don’t make it enough, because I’m the only one that eats it. This recipe is making me want to make a pot ASAP!
Sandi Gaertner
The bacon makes this pretty stellar 🙂
Tiffany
You can freeze your lentil soup!! Its amazing!! I make a big batch of it and portion it and freeze it for later. Hope this helps you ?
Sandi Gaertner
That is wonderful news Tiffany. Thank you so, so much for writing so that other readers know it can be frozen.
Healing Tomato
January is the perfect time for lentils. I eat so many lentils in the fall, so, I am always looking for great recipes. Your picture is amazing and your recipe is very creative.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you Rini, I would love to know if this recipe works with vegan bacon.