Potage Aux Lentilles Et Aux Lard - Lentil, Bacon And Tomato Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, sliced
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips crosswise
1 1/3 cups lentils (Lentilles de Puy, small green French lentils)
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
5 cups vegetable stock
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
sea salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven. Add the bacon, onions and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Don't allow to brown.
Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
Add the lentils and stir to coat with the oil and bacon fat.
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are cooked. Add more broth if soup is getting too thick.