Lentil Soup With Ham
- Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Ingredients to sauté
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped ham
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
Ingredients to Add With Broth:
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed (one 16-ounce bag)
- One 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste (probably won't need it if the ham is salty)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup dried sherry
Ingredients For Last 5 Minutes of Cooking:
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Topping For Individual Soup Bowls:
- 1 cup grated parmesan (optional)
Instructions
-
Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Add ham.
- Cook ham until it gets a bit browned and crisp; about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to Dutch oven.
- Cook for 10 minutes until nicely golden brown and tender. Add more oil if needed.
- Add chicken broth, lentils, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, black pepper, and dry sherry to Dutch oven.
- Bring soup to a simmer.
- Cover the pot.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until lentils are tender; 30 to 45 minutes.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and parsley.
- Simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Comments
Makes 8 to 10 servings.If desired, serve with cornbread.
Looking for a vegetarian version of this recipe? Try vegetarian lentil soup.