Rheinlander Lentil Soup

I have always loved lentil soup, and my mom made it for us quite often when I was a kid. I have always loved how hearty and flavorful it is. About 5 years ago my husband and I had the great pleasure of being able to eat at the Rhinelander restaurant in Portland. The Rhinelander serves German food and is one of my dad's old favorites. One of the things that I remember the most about that experience was their lentil soup. I later found the recipe for that soup online, which I was very excited about! I still make my original lentil soup recipe from time to time (and will promise to post that recipe at a later date), but I like to make this version when we're having guests over for lunch. The plus about this soup (and other soups in general) is that it's easy to freeze the leftovers for later!

Rhinelander Lentil Soup
1 cup dry lentils [I use the whole bag]
5 bacon slices, chopped into small pieces
1 cup potatoes, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
3 1/2 qts water [I only use 3 quarts]
4 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground white pepper [I use black pepper]
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt

1. Combine the oil, bacon, celery, carrots, and onions. Place them in a large pot, over a medium high heat then saute for 5 minutes, or until bacon becomes crisp. Mix in the flour until it's dissolved and creates a paste-like consistency.

2. Gradually add the water, stirring frequently. Now, add the lentils, potatoes, beef base, bay leaves, nutmeg, white pepper, thyme, and salt. Combine well, and allow the mixture to come just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours [or until lentils and potatoes are soft].