Melanie’s Winter Soup

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3½ ounces slab bacon, cut into ⅓-inch lardons
• 6

Heat the butter and in it sauté the bacon until golden; remove the lardons to a plate. Add the onions, leeks, and carrots to the pot and cook on slow heat until golden and compote-like. Add 2 quarts of water and the reserved bacon; add seasonings and simmer until reduced to 6 cups. Do Not strain