Lentil Soup with Lemon, Pancetta & Mint

This is a Nigel Slater recipe I found on the Guardian website. It's such a mash-up of flavors, but it really works! We had this for dinner with some nice crusty bread. The whole thing was ready in 45 minutes from first onion slice to first spoonful in my tummy!

Ingredients
1 large onion
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
3 slices Pancetta
a small bunch of flat-leafed parsley
½ lb French Green Lentils
32 ounces of stock
3 big handfuls of spinach
1 lemon
a small bunch of mint

Directions

Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Toss some olive oil in a medium sized pot and throw them in over medium heat. Dice up the bacon and throw it in when the veggies have softened a little. Cook until the veggies and bacon have all browned nicely.

Chop up the parsley and throw it in the pot. Wash the lentils and stir them in too. Pour the stock in and bring the whole shabang to a boil. Turn the heat down so it's at a nice simmer and partially cover with a lid. Cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender (but not too tender)!

Rinse and quickly steam the spinach in a separate shallow pan with a lid. Squeeze it dry and divide it evenly between the soup bowls - you'll pour the soup right on top.

Season the soup with salt, pepper, lemon juice and the torn mint leaves. Taste as you go and call it good when it's good! Serve over the spinach and enjoy.