20110323 Lentil Soup with Paprika and Pancetta

(SOURCE: Tasty Kitchen Blog - Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika and Pancetta)

I used to get dahl soup for lunch from a catering lady called Kat. But since Kat disappeared off the face of the earth and never answered our email order, I haven't had dahl soup for a long time. As I bought 2kg of red lentils from that little Asian supermarket last time, I thought I would make dahl soup myself. I added a little too much water by accident, but the soup was still very tasty - the pancetta gave it a very intense flavor.

INGREDIENTS
90g pancetta slices, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, diced
4 small carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
dash of chili pepper
1/2 cup white wine
2L chicken broth
450g lentils
salt and pepper, to taste

METHOD
1. Cook pancetta in a large soup pan over medium high heat until fat renders and it starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, and celery, saute until softened. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and saute until fragrant. Add wine, continue to cook another minute or so. Add broth and lentils and bring to a  boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes. Add water if the soups becomes too thick. Puree the soup into a consistency you desire. Season with salt and pepper.