Parsley and lentil soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 75 g lentils (beluga)
• 500 g parsley root(s)
• 3 shallots
• 50 g butter
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 750 ml chicken broth
• 175 ml cream
• Salt and pepper, from the mill
• 50 g lamb’s lettuce
• 4 slice(s) bacon, thin, streaky

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

also available as a vegetarian and vegan option

Cook the lentils in lightly salted water until slightly tender, then drain well. Peel and slice the parsley roots, and finely dice the shallots. Sauté both in the butter, deglaze with the white wine, and reduce by half. Pour in the broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. Wash the lamb’s lettuce thoroughly, drain well, and separate into individual leaves. Add 100 ml of cream to the soup and puree the soup very finely with a hand blender. Add the lentils and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Fry the bacon until crispy, then whip the remaining cream until stiff. Add the lamb’s lettuce to the soup, fold in the whipped cream, and serve with the bacon. For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the bacon. For vegans, replace the butter with margarine and the cream with soy cream.