Hold to the French good-luck tradition and ladle out prosperity, warmth, and a feeling of comfort for the new year with this hearty soup that features one of France's very best products: Du Puy lentils, for which there is no substitution in my kitchen. Where other lentils lose their shape and flavor easily, these stay firm and meaty, rich in taste; seek them out and you'll know why they're called poor man's caviar. In this recipe, adapted from a David Waltuck favorite, the lentils are given a smoky boost with Canadian bacon, and the soup is versatile: you can serve it in bowls at the start of a meal or cook it down to a thick, no-liquid state and plate it alongside any main course. In fact, this dish is so good, it often becomes the one-and-only course for our family's traditional January 1st meal. Bonne année!

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