Lentil Soup (with rice, tomatoes and BACON)

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Tomato Lentil Soup with Rice is great as a starter to a main, or as a main itself, this nutritious soup sticks to your ribs and satisfies! 

While it may or may not be soup season where YOU are, it doesn’t matter – you should make this, immediately. It is ABSOLUTELY delicious,

When I first made this, I’d been down with strep throat (yay, kids in daycare!) and when I was finally able to tolerate eating actual food, I just wanted to take it easy. I wanted something hot, comforting, nourishing and I wanted to be able to taste the flavors. This is where a good bowl of soup comes in. I love this soup year round, it’s THAT good.

If you like this one, you’ll LOVE my Spiced Red Lentil Dhal. You’ll also enjoy my Panera-like Broccoli Cheddar Soup and my Chicken Tortilla Soup, too!

Are lentils good for you?

Yes!! One cup of cooked lentils provides more than 15 grams of dietary fiber and packs some protein in as well.

There’s nothing to not love about lentils. Fiber, protein, thiamin, folate, and iron all feature in this tiny little legume. T

The best part is, lentils taste fantastic. They happily take on the flavors of whatever you’re making them with (spice red lentil dhal is another favorite of mine), or they can shine on their own.

In this lentil rice soup, lentils bring beautiful color and texture, making it a great filler, that does well if you make ahead and freeze, or if you made a big pot and ate it for lunch all week.

Also, hot tip: There’s bacon involved. Bring on the soup!

Ingredients:

• BACON – I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but… leave it out if you’d like a vegetarian version of this soup
• OLIVE OIL
• ONION & CARROTS – dice these roughly the same size
• RICE – I use arborio rice, the same kind used in risotto, but any rice you have will work just fine
• WINE – use extra stock if you want to leave this out
• TOMATOES – I love using fire-roasted tomatoes, then lend a really good smoky flavor to this soup. If you can’t find them or don’t have them, regular canned diced tomatoes work just fine.
• CHICKEN STOCK – make your own chicken stock, or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup (remember to leave out the bacon too if you are going vegetarian!
• RED LENTILS – pick these over and check for foreign objects. Rinse well!
• GARLIC, THYME, SALT AND PEPPER

How to make this recipe:

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crisp.
2. Remove the bacon, and drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat from the pot, add the olive oil, onion, and carrots and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the vegetables soften about 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until well combined, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the wine, if using, and stir until it’s almost evaporated, about a minute.
6. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, and half of the bacon and stir to combine.
7. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
8. Reduce heat, and let the lentil mixture simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and the rice are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
9. Add more liquid if you like a thinner soup (test for seasoning, and adjust)
10. Serve the soup in bowls with the rest of the bacon.

FAQs and Kylee’s Notes

• Use onions, carrots, and celery in the beginning if you’d like to add a little more green to your soup!
• A dash of lemon juice right before serving is a great way to brighten the flavors in this!
• Leave out the bacon, and switch the chicken stock for vegetable stock if you are vegetarian – super easy!
• If you like a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend your cooked soup.
• Sweet potatoes are another good addition to this soup – peel and dice small, and add them with the lentils.
• ALL SOUP RECIPES

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Lentil, Tomato & Rice Soup

5 from 7 votes

Great as a starter to a main, or even as a main itself, this warm, nutritious soup that will stick to your ribs and satisfy! 

Author: Kylee Ayotte

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

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Yield: 4

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Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon (chopped)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cup onion (chopped)
• 3/4 cup carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (dried)
• 1/4 cup white wine ((optional))
• 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 5 cups chicken stock (or more as needed)
• 3/4 cup dried red lentils (rinsed and picked through)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crisp.
• Remove the bacon, and drain on paper towels.
• Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat from the pot, add the olive oil, onion, and carrots and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until well combined, about 3 minutes.
• Add the wine, if using, and stir until it’s almost evaporated, about a minute.
• Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, and half of the bacon and stir to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Let the lentil mixture simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and the rice are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add more liquid if you like a thinner soup (test for seasoning, and adjust)
• Serve the soup in bowls with the rest of the bacon.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 3538mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 9980IU | Vitamin C: 56.8mg | Calcium: 510mg | Iron: 12.6mg

Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.