Need help modifying a soup recipe...

I make a lentil soup with:

1. four slices bacon
2. sliced large onion
3. 4-6 cloves chopped garlic
4. pound of lentils
5. 4 roma tomatoes
6. salt and pepper

What can I use to replace the bacon in both vegetarian and vegan versions of this soup?

I would probably start with a chunk of parmesan rind and some earthy mushrooms, maybe a drop of truffle oil. Suggestions please!

I often make lentil soup similar to your recipe. To adjust it to a vegetarian/vegan version, you could simply leave out the bacon, and of course avoid using butter in the frying. You could add more tomatoes; you could add some diced potato. I made a version of my lentil soup recently that went something like the recipe below, and it worked well. (Usually I'd use chicken stock but didn't have any to hand so used water instead.)

1 medium onion fried in olive oil till it begins to colour
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 grated carrot
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 cup green peas
Simmer together with a bay leaf.
Season with a pinch of ground cloves, a hefty pinch of ground chilli, and a heftier pinch of ground allspice.
Add a handful of chopped parsley in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

That's not a whole lot of bacon.
Mushrooms sounds good, in moderation, say two small or one medium shiitake, or maybe two or three crimini. Maybe some tofu?

John

[Jenise]

What you're looking for is that that hint of smoked flavor, right? I don't know if you have one of those home smokers, but if you do you could actually smoke your tomatoes or even some red bell pepper. Failing that, try roasting your tomatoes and garlic to maximize their flavor. Slice the toms in half and put in a bowl with the garlic cloves (go six, not four) and a good drizzle of olive oil. Toss and place the tomatoes cut side down on a shallow baking pan, nestling the garlic in between, and put in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. When done, you can slip the tomato skins right off by pinching them on the top. Then start your lentil soup with the chopped roasted tomatoes. Btw, I'd also pour the accumulated pan juices, galic AND skins into a blender and whiz into a puree, and add that to the soup too. If you're using winter romas like the ones I saw at the store today, btw, I'd add two more tomatoes or supplement the tomatoes with a generous tablespoon or two of good canned tomato paste too.

A smoked chipotle pepper would be a nice thing, if a little heat isn't objected to. They're quite smokey (and I mean the dried kind, not the canned kind) and great in soups. But if the veggies are good, really, the bacon won't be missed. As someone else said, four strips isn't that much.

Re the truffle oil, not a bad idea, but stir it in at the end or add it to the finished soup as a condiment--its flavor is quickly dashed by heat. However, it shouldn't be neccessary to give your soup a more robust flavor--intensifying the tomato part as above should do most of the trick.

If smokiness is what you're going after, a little smoky paprika (pimenton) will do the trick. You can also use some liquid smoke (in strict moderation -- a little goes a long ways). But the thing you will also miss from omitting the bacon is the richness of the fat, which also gives a little body to the soup. You will want to replace that by adding an amount of olive (or other unflavored oil) equal to what might be rendered from the bacon.

[Jenise]

If smokiness is what you're going after, a little smoky paprika (pimenton) will do the trick. You can also use some liquid smoke (in strict moderation -- a little goes a long ways). But the thing you will also miss from omitting the bacon is the richness of the fat, which also gives a little body to the soup. You will want to replace that by adding an amount of olive (or other unflavored oil) equal to what might be rendered from the bacon.

Pimenton! Yes, that would be perfect--it's been too long since I had a spice cupboard at my fingertips.

Great suggestions for replacing both the smokey flavor and the fat...

The event was postponed a week; I'll post again and let you know how it turned out.

Just had an idea while I was out in the kitchen throwing together some vegetables to make a spaghetti sauce. What about using sesame oil to fry or roast the onions & tomatoes? I have just been sauteeing some onion, red capsicum and celery in sesame oil, and was struck by the smoky, nutty aroma. I've used it in making my lentil soup from time to time.

I like to use minced celery in my lentil soup. It adds a good complexity to it.

To replace bacon, use some liquid smoke near the end of cooking and maybe up the salt. Drizzle some excellent EVOO over the soup at the table.

What can I use to replace the bacon in both vegetarian and vegan versions of this soup?

I would probably start with a chunk of parmesan rind

I don't believe a vegan would eat anything that had cheese in it, would they?

Cumin also has that smoky top note-- and it pairs well with lentils.