Lentil soup with ham is the perfect hearty meal in a bowl with its chunky lentils and ham. It's super filling too!
Ingredients
1cupdry lentilsgreen or brown
1cupdiced or cubed hamor leftover ham from holidays
1ham boneoptional
2tablespoonsolive oil
½cupsliced carrotsabout 2 medium sized
½cupchopped celery2-3 ribs
½cupdiced onion1 medium
1teaspoonminced garlic2 fat cloves
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoonpaprikasmoked or sweet
6cupschicken stock
2 - 3dry bay leaves
5ozfresh baby spinach
¼cupchopped fresh parsley
1teaspoontable salt
½teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly soft.
Add dried oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and sauté that for a minute for the spices to warm up. Then, add lentils and ham. Mix well with the vegetables and spices.
Nestle bay leaves and ham bone, if using, on top of the lentil and vegetable mix.
Add chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer till lentils are cooked through. It’ll take 20-30 minutes.
Once the lentils are soft, fish out and discard the bay leaves and ham bone, if used.
Add spinach and let it simmer for a couple of minutes or till the spinach wilts. (You don’t want to overcook the spinach.) And then stir in parsley and serve hot, either on its own or with some crusty bread. A squeeze of lemon will amp up the flavor.