Bacon and Lentil Soup

I think that on some evenings a good hearty bowl of soup with some crusty bread is an ample meal, tonight is one of those evenings. This is a recipe that I have acquired at some point over the years and tweaked along the way.  There's no fancy ingredients, no mass peeling of vegetables and no need to puree at the end.  

Preparation time 15 min
Cooking time 25 min

Serves 4 generous helpings

Ingredients
1 medium onion
2 tbspn of olive oil
1 garlic clove
6 rashers of bacon
300g of red lentils (no need to soak first)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 ltr of vegetable stock (Bouillon Powder)
pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and garlic and fry until soft and golden.  Add the bacon and fry until cooked.  Stir in the lentils, then the stock and tomatoes.  Season and add chilli flakes if desired.  Cover and leave to simmer for 25 min.  Check and stir halfway through the cooking and add a little more water if the soup needs thinning down.
Serve with some fresh crusty bread.

I haven't made this soup without the bacon, but for a vegetarian option I would just leave out the bacon and serve with some grated cheese sprinkled on top. I added the coriander just to make the picture pretty and it added an excellent flavour to  the soup.  I just happened to have some for a recipe I plan to cook soon.  Keep watching............