Irish Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound bag brown lentils
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 celery stalks chopped fine
2 cups cubed red potatoes
6 garlic clove coarsely chopped
½ pound stew meat
4 strips bacon, chopped
3 ounces of good Irish whiskey
½ tsp. Oregano
½ tsp. Pink Salt
2 tbsp. of cornstarch
1 tbsp. beef base (paste if possible)
6 cups water
Pinch of Black Pepper
Directions:
Place lentils in a large pot and add water to one inch above
the lentils. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse the lentils
before adding them to the soup. Before beginning the
soup dissolve the beef base in 6 cups of hot water.
Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat adding one tbsp.
of olive oil. Place the cubed beef, onion, garlic, oregano,
bacon and seasoned salt. Brown the beef, adding the
whiskey when the onions are transparent. Beware! Your
stove’s burner, if gas, may create a flame which will burn
off as the alcohol evaporates. Add the celery and potatoes
and continue cooking for five minutes. Reduce the heat to
medium and add the drained lentils with the beef base.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and let
cook for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring the
soup back to boiling and add the cornstarch which has
been dissolved in one cup of cold water, stirring to desired
thickness. Simmer the soup for fifteen more minutes
adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serving suggestion:
This is wonderful paired with a freshly baked loaf of Irish
Soda Bread. A good, full bodied red wine makes this the
perfect meal. Serves 6.
Melissa Lee
www.thepermanenttourist.com
