Lentil Soup

“My taste buds are tap-dancing; the Glaswegian is sneaking spoonfuls from the pot after two very healthy bowls and the dog is whining! This 5 star business doesn’t go past 5 though!I took the weather ingredient of your recipe as a sign of what was in store for dinner (the temperature tonight is ridiculous by Toronto standards, –30 with the wind-chill). I knew I was going to make lentil soup and had my heart set on an Armenian or Lebanese recipe. Finding myself short of ingredients, my eyes rested on your recipe and I am in heaven!I made a couple of minor changes…I had homemade vegetable stock on hand but less than three cups to which I added cold water to make up 8 cups. I’ve been having an oregano crisis lately (see Italian Chicken Recipe #26469 by Mysterygirl for details) so I decided to substitute fresh thyme instead.I’ll have you know that I went slightly off my diet for this recipe. Good grief…I mixed a protein with a carb (and I’m smiling)!!!”

“I love this recipy it is the best lentil soupever!I made it for my grandson who has bad allergies but everyone just loved it.I have made it 5 time most of the time I don’t put the bacon in, once used sausage instead, it is wonderful with bacon or sausage or with no bacon or sausage. Thanks for give us a new favorite soup.”

“Well it isnt Winter but its been very wet and miserable here, and what could be nicer than a bowl of hot yummy soup. This is the one!I rarely use lentils but wanted to give this one a go, really enjoyed the flavours, thanks for posting Karen. =)”

“my husband said it tasted like water. Added chicken flavored cubes and a small amount of tomato sauce. it also took more than 45 min. to cook. will not make again.”

“This was great!The first lentil recipe that my family and I have liked.I did change it a bit, but only because I had to use what I had on hand.I used a large can of Italian diced tomatoes which helped my being out of garlic and oregano.I also used a bit of italian seasoning.I also did not have parsley.I added a tsp of rosemary.I used a hamhock and 3 slices of bacon.I lost track of time and cooked it for over an hour, it was tender.Yummy yummy.Thanks Karen”

“I just made this for my family, and it was thumbs up around the entire table. A great meal on a cold night!Instead of bacon, I added a fresh smoked ham hock from my local butcher, and substituted four cups of low sodium chicken broth for equal parts water.This is definitely a new addition to our winter comfort food…cheers.”

“It was yummy.As you cook this soup, the beans absorb water and I added 2-3 more cups of water.Also I added chicken stock and a little cumin.”

“Very delicious soup.I also decided to make this soup with chicken stock and it turned out just perfect!”

“I have made this sticking to the recipe and with alterations, it turns out yummy either way. I find it makes a great base. I substitute a couple of cups of stock for water, add more veggies (whatever is around), and meat at times. Sometimes I add additional spices. When I’m not pressed for time, I like to fry the bacon, onion, and garlic first, so I can deglaze the pan for extra flavors.”

“Soup had an odd flavor, but I honestly think it may have been the lentils.I’d never cooked with lentils before, so I guess they tasted different than I expected….I added some cooked ground beef, and made this in the Crock Pot: about an hour on high, then maybe 6 hours on low – but, it was plenty done, and probably didn’t need that long.”

“Mmmm soo good!I tweaked it a bit using advice from other users, such as substituting sausage and adding butter and celery. My boyfriend was concerned it would taste too much like “health food,” but then he gobbled it up! It made lots more than I expected, which is great, ‘cos now we have plenty for leftovers! I served it with cornbread recipe #4496. Mmm Delicious!!!”

“I was a bit skeptical at first, but with some minor tweaking of spices this turned out to be an enjoyable soup.If you’re going for taste, I’d recommend sauteeing the onions and garlic for a short while before adding them to the pot.But preparing as suggested is not too bad and healthier.I used two chicken sausages instead of bacon, added an extra bay leaf and some crushed chili pepper.I also added a tablespoon of butter because I was searching for more depth of flavor.Over time, the flavors come together nicely.”

“This was a delicious soup. And it doesn’t get any easier to make than this one. I added two celery ribs and 2 tblsp. butter. Thanks for this “keeper” Karen.”

“In only considering taste, I would’ve given this recipe three or four stars.However, I HATE the taste of plain lentils and beans, yet I liked this soup.Also, it has a lot of protein and is not bad for your heart.Nice recipe!!”

“Delicious and simple to make! Made exactly like directions in recipe except omitted the bacon and in it’s place used 1-lb Italian turkey sausage which I chopped into bite-size pieces.”

“I love lentils and love trying new soup recipes. I would make a few changes to this one. Don’t add vinegar & parsley till end of cooking time. Also, took much more than 8 cups of water If I make it again I would pre-cook the bacon slightly and then saute veggies in bacon fat and add all to pot.Overall, a warm and filling soup. “

“Made this today and it was wonderful.The only addition I made was to add 1 envelope of Ham seasoning and aobut a TBS of Italian Vegetable paste.I used diced pancetta instead of bacon.There were no complaints from anyone.Great soup!Thanks!”

“Absolutely loved your recipe!I have two boys who can be picky and turn their nose up at “healthy” meals.I substituted the bacon for diced ham and my family loved it!Thank you for sharing your recipe.I will definitely use this recipe again =)”

“Had no other ideas on what to make tonight and I bought a bag of lentils weeks ago knowing I wanted to try this recipe.This was delicious.I used leftover diced honey baked ham instead of bacon, and it was a perfect complement.It was even good on a hot day (in AC).Husband and I both agree we’re making this in large quantities this winter.”

“I tried this recipe to specifications and it was horrible. It was super bland. I ended up adding a pack of maggi chicken soup and some other seasonings.”