Best-Ever French Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup lentils du Puy, rinsed and picked over
• 1 strip orange peel (about 2 inches long), white pith removed and cut into 3 pieces
• 6 black peppercorns
• 6 coriander seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 1-1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 6 thin slices pancetta

1. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onion, fennel, and carrot and stir the vegetables until they are coated in the oil. Cover the pot and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes.
2. Add the broth, lentils, and orange peel to the pot. Wrap the peppercorns, coriander seeds, and clove in cheesecloth and tie shut, or use a disposable tea filter. Add to the pot along with the ginger. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are very soft, 60 to 90 minutes. Season with salt and pepper after about 45 minutes of cooking time.
3. Remove the orange peel and spice sachet. Working in batches, puree about half the soup in a regular blender or with an immersion blender.
4. Fry the pancetta in a non-stick pan over medium heat until crispy. Ladle the soup into bowls and float a round of pancetta in each bowl.

olive oil, onions, fennel bulb, carrot, chicken stock, puy, orange, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, ginger, salt, thin slices pancetta

Taken from food52.com/recipes/8456-best-ever-french-lentil-soup (may not work)