I always like cooking ham and I often find myself thinking that my favorite part is the leftovers; especially that ham bone. Ham bones can be used to either make a nice ham stock or you can just throw the bone right into any number of tasty soups and it adds a ton of flavour as simmers away. This time I was thinking that I don’t use lentils often enough and that a ham and lentil soup would be really nice. I don’t normally use a recipe for these kinds of soups as they are so easy. After I have decided on the primary ingredients I normally go for the standard onion, carrot and celery combo along with some stock. From there I add a few herbs, fresh or preserved and I like to finish the soups off with a green vegetable, in this case I went with some spinach. The soup is really easy to make and once you are done with all of the chopping you can relax while it simmers and draws out all of the flavours. The ham and lentil soup turned out great! It was nice and tasty and I really enjoyed the texture of the lentils in the soup. I will need to experiment some more with lentil soups.
Ham and Lentil Soup
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 cups ham broth or chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 2 cups ham (diced)
- 1 ham bone (optional)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- pepper to taste
- 1 bunch spinach (rinsed and trimmed)
directions
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan.
- Add the onions, carrot and celery and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, a few minutes.
- Add the stock, lentils, ham, ham bone, oregano, bay leaf and thyme and simmer, covered on low heat for an hour.
- Remove from heat and stir in the spinach.
Ham and Bean Soup
Ham and Chickpea Soup
Hoppin’ John
Split Pea Soup
Creole Split Pea Soup
Maple, Bourbon Ham and Baked Bean Soup
Lemony Lentil Soup
Looks great Kevin! Love lentils!
Mmm, lentils & spinach!!
Tasty! Will have to remember to make this in the near future. Cooked a batch of pork ‘n’ beans recently, so I’ve od-ed on the combination for the time being.
That looks delicious. I wish my husband would eat lentils. 🙁
Wow, I can imagine the flavors! This would go great with the balsamic syrup drizzled baguette I just posted.
Lentils are the best food ever, so nutritious and flavourful! Thanks for this great recipe 🙂
The best part about ham IS the leftovers… the soup looks great!
What a nice, filling and healthy soup!
Love lentils. The addition of ham seems interesting. Looks delicious.
Another winning combination!
Kevin,
This soup looks devine! Seriously! Thanks for posting it, makes me want to try it and venture into the lentil world.
Bravo!
Jenifer
Kevin – The addition of the greens is really great. A nice change from the beans and ham soup I normally make with leftover ham bones.
We’re feeling a little all “hammed” out here from the big Easter dinner and all the leftovers, but this soup looks SO good. And there’s still more ham, the perfect kind for cutting little chunks.
Looks delicious – I love the spinach you added!
Kevin, that looks great! I’ll have to make it for just me, as bf does not eat piggies, but! I think it would be pretty in pink with red lentils, too. Yum.
well, now I know what to do with the ham bone left over from your gingersnap crusted ham post (fantastic, by the way) I served for Easter…
It is the “green” that makes this soup so wonderful. Great idea, thanks.
I love Lentil soup. I’ll try your version as soon as it’s not over 80 degrees here in Texas. Look yum.
The spinach is nice and green-soup looks great 🙂
This looks just great! It’s unseasonably cold here in LA, and what a perfect dinner (this would have been…tonight).
Beautiful dish as always Kevin.
A delightfully comforting dish with gorgeous flavors!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ham and lentils are a perfect combination.
Looks great!You could also try adding to your standard stock and veggies,some olive oil,tomato paste,1 tsp sugar,oregano,and a WHOLE head of peeled,UNchopped garlic!!!
Bellissima da vedere, buonissima da mangiare…
Buona giornata.
I just love lentil soup. Looks great!
I love lentil soup!
What a delicious dish! My kinda food!
Sounds like a perfect way for me to use up some of my leftover ham.
Great looking soup Kevin!
Kevin your soup looks great love all the lentils.
YUM that looks good, dang it I gave my ham bone to my sister in law!
wow…with the ham, this soup must be SO flavorful! I’ve been looking for lentil recipes, so thanks for this! now, to find me a ham bone…
How beautiful, Kevin. Thank you for reminding me to use my lentils, and in such an appetising way!
Well, Kevin, you must be Peh-sychic.
I’d been craving Lentil soup all week long, and here’s your timely, not to mention, delicious rendition of a wonderful soup.
I love lentil soup with spinach! Looks great!
this sounds absolutely delicious!!
I have just tagged you with a blog award. You can pick it up at my blog site: http://justrho.blogspot.com/
That looks delicious! It is still a little cold here so soup sounds wonderful 🙂
The colors in this are amazing — it looks so delicious and is perfect for a chilly day.
This is such a great recipe. I love leftover ham as well.
MMMMMMM….homemade ham and lentil soup. I’ve always had it straight from the can!
b/t/w I’ve given your blog an “I Love Your Blog” award on my latest post. Your gorgeous photos and recipes are very inspiring!
http://mehungry-phyllis.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-love-your-blog-awards-and-little-more.html
Ooooh your lentil soup looks so good. I used to make split pea soups with smoked turkey too. The smoked turkey gives the same result as the ham. Your soup is reminding me that it’s about time for me to make mine again 🙂
Christina
This soup looks absolutely delicious! And couldn’t be better timing – i have some ham that needs to be used up, and what a great way to do it!
We were thinking along the same lines this week. I couldn’t decide between lentils, peas or beans and beans won 🙂
I love lentils, and lentils & ham – classic, delicious combo! Great photo, too!
Your photos are so gorgeous!
That looks like a wonderfully hearty soup.
All my favourite things in one bowl!! Definitely destined for my bookmarks 🙂
Hey Kevin, i made your soup on the weekend and it was just as delicious as it looked in your picture! Thanks for a great recipe!
can’t go wrong with that meal!
Ho parlato della tua ricetta ad una mia amica. Ha detto che la zuppa si fa anche coi ceci al posto delle lenticchie…
I like soups in winter, warming nourishing and usually make my own.
This one looks little thick and my kids like thick one too. It would be healthy too for them.
I love addding a bit of white wine vinegar in the soup on my serving bowl. It adds a great bite to the soup.
Could you use sausage rather than ham and prepare it the same way?
Brittany: I would say that a nice and tasty Italian sausage (or something similar) would also work really well.
Hey I used your recipe last night and made this for dinner! So easy and my husband and I loved it! Thanks!!
this was delicious!!!
I made this last night – incredible! Mine looked very different than yours and my lentils completely disappeared! But it was so delicious. Thank you!
Just made this and it is unbelievably good. AS in AWESOME!!!!
i’ve been meaning to make this soup since i first found your blog. SO easy, and so simple.,, Thanks,
Your blog smells wonderful!
Ok – I'm trying it this evening with the leftover ham bone from Christmas! No ham meat, no stock, but I do have the rest of the ingredients…. can't wait! Yum!
I made a double batch of this.. It came out great… Only difference i made was adding a can of tomato puree… And no spinach because my family doesnt like cooked spinach… A+
How much is a “bunch” of spinach?
These days a bunch of spinach is usually around 10-12 ounces but once you remove all of the stems you are probably at 4-5 ounces. Enjoy!
This soup is amazing! Making it a second time today!
I’m cooking this soup today. WNot ever cooked lentils before. Had a lentil soup years ago and your picture looks dark like I remember it. What makes the dark color of the soup? Thanks.
The colour of the broth comes from the lentils!
I put bite size potatoes in mine .My family loves it and it makes a hearty meal for my guys .