Can someone give me a recipe for a good lentil soup, or stew?

Answer 1

Lentil Soup
1 lb lentils
1/2 lb bacon or pancetta, diced
1 leek, diced,white part only
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 quarts chicken stock or beef stock or ham stock (depending on your taste)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large potato, peeled
1 ham bone or 2 large ham hocks
2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar or sherry wine vinegar
1 lb sliced kielbasa, cooked (optional)
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced (optional)
10-12 cups

1. Wash lentils and drain.
2. In a Dutch oven fry bacon until golden.
3. Add diced leeks, onions and carrots and cook until onions are limp.
4. Add lentils, stock, celery, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
5. With a medium size grater, grate potato into mixture and add ham bone.
6. Add optional ingredients.
7. Simmer 1 hour or until lentils are tender.
8. Remove bay leaf and ham bone; cut meat from ham bone and return meat to soup.
9. Add lemon juice and serve.
10. If soup is thicker than you would like add additional stock or water.
11. Note: If using a bone in piece of ham or ham hocks with a lot of fat, it is best to cook the meat in the stock separatelyfirst, remove meat and reserve, and then defat.
12. Proceed as above, adding meat back at the end.

Answer 2

My grandmother's recipe -if you are a vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock (but it's not as good!)

2 litres ham stock (made from ham shank or bacon ribs)
1 cup red lentils
2 leeks
500 grams carrots (or 1 lb - it's not an exact science)
500 grams (or as above) swede turnip (rutabaga)
My own variation - 1 medium sweet potato
Seasoning as required - if using ham or bacon stock, little salt will be needed (but black pepper is good)

Chop vegetables roughly. Add lentils to cold stock, bring to boil. Add other ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly then liquidize, sieve or process to smooth constituency. Enjoy!

Answer 3

* 2 cups dried lentils
* 8 cups water
* 1 1/2 tbsp. crumbled bacon or bacon bits
* 1/2 c. chopped onion
* 1/2 c. chopped celery
* 1/4 c. chopped carrot
* 3 tbsp. snipped parsley
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 2 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
* 1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
* 2 tbsp. wine vinegar

PREPARATION:
Rinse lentils; place in cooker. Add 8 cups water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes and vinegar. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Turn to HIGH and cook 15 minutes longer, until hot.

Answer 4

go to allrecipes.com or cooks.com