Lentil Soup with Bacon

225g  (1 cup) lentils
1.5L (6¼ cups) stock or water

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 carrot, chopped
175g bacon, chopped, without rind
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
225g potatoes, chopped
Garnish: chopped parsley, fried croutons

Serves: 6

Wash the lentils then soak them in the stock in a saucepan for 1-2 hours. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, bacon, tomatoes, bay leaf and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until the lentils are tender.

Add the potatoes and continue cooking for about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove the bay leaf, sieve or liquidize the soup and return to the pan. Adjust the seasoning, add the vinegar and reheat.

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and fried croutons.

Hints:
Bacon can be replaced with ham. This is a good recipe for using up left over Christmas ham!