Hearty Lentil Soup

This is our standard soup that we must make about once a week in the winter, to the point where I have it memorized. It's a good recipe because you usually have all the ingredients on hand when you're looking for dinner without too much thought. And, it fills everyone up and my kids love, love, love it. Actually, I do too. It always goes with a nice crusty loaf of bread and some orange slices for dessert, come mid-winter orange season.

Hearty Lentil Soup (from the Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe)

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped medium

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

1 cup (7oz) lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 tsp salt

ground black pepper

1/2 cup white wine*

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

3 tsp minced fresh parseley

*Usually I use a dealcholized wine that you can buy at most grocery stores or Trader Joes. However, I've also omitted this on occasion and the recipe works out just fine as well.

1. Fry the bacon in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are softened and the lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Uncover, increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and cover partially, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard the bay leaf.

3. Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then return to the pot. Stir in the vinegar and heat the soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tb parsley and serve, garnishing each bowl with some of the remaining parsley.

Variation: Hearty Lentil Soup with Spinach

Follow the above recipe, replacing the parsley with 5oz baby spinach. Continue to heat the soup, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes; serve.