Slow Cooker French Lentil Soup
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Slow Cooker French Lentil Soup
Category
Soups and Breads
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped medium (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup lentils (7 ounces), rinsed and picked over
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoon Fustini's 18-Year balsamic
- 5 ounces chopped frozen, thawed spinach, or fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups 1/2 inch diced fresh bread
- 3 tablespoons Fustini’s Garlic olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients
Garlic Croutons
Directions
- Fry bacon in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and carrots, cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lentils, salt, and pepper to taste, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils have darkened 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to simmer.
- Put all ingredients in the slow cooker. Add chicken broth and water, cook on low for 2-3 hours, testing for lentil doneness at 2 hours, discard bay leaf. Add spinach, cook another 30 minutes on low. Serve with Garlic Croutons.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper Dice 2 cups bread of choice. Toss with Fustini&rsquo,s Garlic olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.