Lentilles au Lard
Lentils with bacon
Ingredients
- 300 g Puy lentils
- 150 g Bacon
- 2 Carrot
- 1 Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Method
- Dice the bacon into small lardons.
- Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until it has rendered its fat and the edges are crisp.
- While the bacon renders, dice the onion.
- While the bacon renders, dice the carrot.
- While the bacon renders, mince the garlic.
- Add the onion, carrot, and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.
- Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and enough water to cover by a few centimetres. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mustard.
- Serve warm.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Lentilles au Lard
Lentilles au lard is a rustic French bistro classic — earthy green lentils braised with bacon, translating literally to lentils with bacon. It builds on the famed lentilles vertes du Puy, the small slate-green lentils prized for keeping their shape and delivering a clean, mineral earthiness. The dish begins by rendering diced bacon into lardons so the pot is seasoned with smoky fat from the start, then onion, carrot, and garlic soften in that fat before the lentils go in with thyme and bay to braise gently.
The eating is deeply savory and warming: tender-but-firm lentils carrying smoky depth from the bacon, sweetness from the carrot, and herbal backbone from the thyme and bay. A spoonful of Dijon stirred in at the finish sharpens the whole pot and keeps the richness in check. Traditionally it is served as a hearty main or as a bed beneath sausages, roast pork, or a piece of fish, and it is exactly the kind of thing that tastes even better reheated the next day. This version's strength is its unhurried braise, which lets the lentils absorb the bacon and aromatics without ever going soft.
Lentilles au Lard: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Lentilles au Lard?
A serving has about 502 calories — 24.1g protein, 54.3g carbs, 22.9g fat, 9.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Lentilles au Lard gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Lentilles au Lard has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Lentilles au Lard take to make?
About 45 minutes start to finish, but only around 17 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Lentilles au Lard?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bay leaves, dijon mustard — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Lentilles au Lard make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.