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French Lentil Soup 1

Cool weather is FINALLY here in Texas and it is fabulous!  The weather in Texas is amazing about 9 months of the year, but I tell ya the summers are hard and we are so ready for the cool weather when it gets here. And when it gets here, I’m talking about 68 degrees, people break out the winterwear.  It’s hysterical!  But, I do love being able to make fall dishes and not feel like a fraud. So here come the fall/winter dishes!

This French Lentil Soup is a such a delicious, hearty, easy soup to make and your whole family will really love it.  I was kinda nervous to have my youngest try it when I served it for dinner, but he loved it and had two bowls!  It is just a rich, filling soup that guys like.  I serve it with a crusty loaf of bread and salad.  But, the other night my lettuce was kinda yuck so I made grilled cheeses and served along side and that was, of course, delicious!

Celery Root or Celeriac is a root vegetable that tastes like….celery! It is not the root of the celery you eat-it is cultivated for the purpose of eating the root, but has all the flavors of celery.  When you cut it you will smell its sweet, crisp celery smell.  I LOVE celery root!  It is delicious roasted, mashed, in soups… it is so good and I think is so underused! It is ugly and often times hidden in the grocery store, but just ask your produce guy.  And if your grocery store does not carry it then ask them to carry it! They are happy to bring in items that you request.

I have pictures below of what it looks like-its not a pretty thing, but so good.  Use a sharp knife and cut the tough outer peel off. Then just cut in half and start dicing up. If you have left over then just bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil the remaining chopped celery root for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Then use a potato masher and mash until smooth.  Add cream and salt/pepper and serve as a side dish!

Back to the soup-this soup is perfect the next day for lunch or it freezes great! Make a big batch and freeze half.

Hope you enjoy!

Celery Root

French Lentil Soup 1
5 from 1 vote
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French Lentil Soup

Delicious and hearty soup that is easy to pull together that tastes like it has taken all day, but it is perfect for a weeknight dinner! 

Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced
  • 1 leek-discard green top, rinse well and chop
  • 2 cups French Le Puy Lentils (but any lentil will work)
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a large stock pot cook the bacon over medium-high heat until slightly crisp. You might need to add a little bit of oil to get it going if you bacon is not too fatty. 

  2. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the begin to soften. Add garlic, carrots. celery root and leeks.  Cook for about 5 minutes until they all begin to soften. 

  3. Add lentils, red wine vinegar, thyme, bay leaves and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until lentils are soft, but not mushy. 

  4. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Serve hot. 

Needed Items