French Creamy Lentil Soup

I haven't made this yet. The comments are those of the original poster's.

This lentil soup comes out so wonderfully - the flavors are nicely balanced and perfectly put together. We always try to follow this recipe exactly to the point - do not deviate from the proportions or you wont get as nice a result.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces
• 1 large onion
• 2 medium carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp thyme chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz
• bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper
• 1 cup lentils washed (preferably lentils de puy)
• 4 1/2 cups broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup white wine

Method:
Fry bacon pieces until crispy. Put in diced onion and carrot into the pot and cook with the bacon, press garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and lentils, cook 8-10 min on medium low heat. Add wine, bring to a simmer, add broth and water.

Cook for 30 min on low heat, partially covered. When soup is cooked nicely, puree 3 cups of soup in a blender and add 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper if needed, add fresh parsley and serve with a dollop of sour cream.