Hearty Lentil and Ham Soup

So, I had a corned ham bone with some extra ham that I used for this soup. The salty corned ham made the soup plenty salty but not too. The only adjustment I made was doubling the carrots and omitting the celery since my family are not fans of celery. I also waited and added the mushrooms in the last 40 minutes of simmering. I have not had many lentil soups but lots of dahl bhat. What is the correct consistency of lentils in soup?

• mommygracedorman

• Wake Forest, NC

• 12/29/2017

配方纯粹主义者,看了!我用这个配方clean out the freezer and used many posters' suggestions. This recipe provides the foundation of a soup that is incredibly versatile and allows you to be creative. I had a quart of full-bodied homemade ham stock and 2 cups of shredded smoked ham. I also had a few cubes of a concentrated mushroom broth with red wine and parmesan cheese rind. Sauteed the celery, garlic, carrots and onions, added the stock, broth, 2 c. water, cumin, a bay leaf and lots of pepper, only had 7 oz of red lentils so added a couple small red potatoes, and added the shredded ham when done. Half a tsp of salt and a squeeze of lemon made this perfect. I had planned to use the immersion blender but preferred it chunky and rustic. Best lentil soup I've ever tasted. I look forward to making this with more Indian/Thai flavors and also a version with turkey kielbasa and Puy lentils.

• exene10003

• nycnyc

• 12/2/2016

Great pressure cooker recipe for weeknight meal. I added sprigs of fresh thyme and 4 whole garlic cloves to the vegetables. Used a ham bone leftover from a Costco smoked spiral ham, french green lentils, 1 quart of beef, 1- 14 oz can of beef consomme, and 1.5 cups of water. Cooked at high pressure for 25 minutes, then quick release. Served the (thick) soup over fresh raw spinach with a splash of vinegar and hotsauce. I am usually not a lentil fan, but this will be in my regular rotation. Very filling too!

• Anonymous

• Minnesota

• 4/17/2016

I added 3 cups of chopped ham from my Easter meal and a few tbsp of dried parsley, a tbsp of paprika, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and a tsp of salt. This turned out fabulous! I will definitely make it again!

• sonos2000

• Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

• 4/10/2016

This soup turned out great. I had a left over ham from Easter and I threw it all in a pot within a few minutes. Next time I think I would use a crock pot for ease- if you cook for about 2 hrs the meat just falls off the bone. I used 6 cups chicken broth and 6 cups beef broth. No water and no salt needed. I do not like mushrooms so I did not include those either. This is a keeper for a nice winter soup and so simple.

• nicker

• Washington DC

• 4/9/2016

.

• EMcCammon

• Wilmette, IL

• 6/11/2015

great soup. Added a Parmesan rind during the cooking and a few dashes of soy sauce at the end for an umami finish.

• reiner

• ct

• 4/3/2015

伟大的秘诀。我做了几个现代派和每一个人absolutely loved it. I doubled the carrots and added about 3 cloves of chopped garlic. I also bought beef stock in the store, but then after I was home noticed that the recipe called for 8 cups of water. I added 4 cups of water and then dissolved 2 beef bouillon cubes in the other 4 (just because I noticed some reviews labeled this as "bland"). I also cut corn from 3 ears of corn and let the corn cobs stew with the soup. It was an absolutely delicious meal with crusty bread and even a bit of parm cheese atop the soup. Not bland at all and I will most definitely make this again.

• lshickle

• Richmond, Va

• 12/29/2013

always better the next day

• billysgurl

• Portland OR

• 11/5/2013

This is the second time I've made this soup, but before I started today I read some of the reviews and wondered why a few people said it needed help or was bland. I remembered it being so good the first time I made it. Then, as I was making it this afternoon something occurred to me... 8 cups of water is entirely too much flavorless liquid to be adding to a soup. Period. I know ham is salty and that should make up for some of the flavor, but still. With my memory jogged as to what I did last time, I used only 2 cups of water and a combination of low-sodium chicken stock and low-sodium beef stock for the rest, for a total of about 9-10 cups of liquid all together (less than what is called for). I also used half the amount of mushrooms and onions, and reduced the cinnamon to 1/4 tsp. I don't love mushrooms, but they add a certain earthy flavor that's hard to get any other way. I also added a fresh garlic clove and a couple teaspoons of my favorite no-salt seasoning from Costco. It's herby and delicious. I don't think you should omit the cinnamon all together, because a hint of it really adds some dimension to the soup. I also sweated all the veggies (like other reviewers) before adding the lentils and liquid. All in all, with my changes this soup gets 4 forks. Although, if I had strictly followed the recipe I probably would only give it 3.

• BrinaZ

• Montana

• 8/26/2013

forgot to give fork rating and also i used cumin about a t with the minced garlic and ginger.recipe is forgiving and you can use what you have.

• hp

• the big apple

• 8/14/2013

i didn't have ham bone, sauteed diced kielbasa in butter and oil, removed with slotted spoon and sauteed the mushroom. removed, sauteed minced garlic and ginger 30 secs then sweated the carrot celery and shallots and scallions, subbed for onions which i didnt have, then as i was about to add the chicken stock i realized i had none....what to do? i used 4 cups water some diced fresh tomato and a small can of tomato sauce. used red lentils, finished with large handful of baby spinach. added cooked spinach tortillini and some grated parmesaen cheese to serve. finished up with a wonderful golden harvest stew that was very tasty. also added a splash of soy sauce to the broth to enhance the umami taste. necessity is the mother of invention even in the kitchen! it was soooo tasty.

• hp

• the big apple

• 8/14/2013

Good recipe, and oh so easy! I sweated the veggies, and added some fresh minced garlic...otherwise kept to the recipe. Nice flavors.

• taebatha

• Atlanta

• 11/26/2012

This is the easiest, best lentil soup recipe ever. I added three pressed garlic cloves. Yum!

• Anonymous

• California

• 3/19/2012

Good, basic soup. I used the ham bone to make stock (which I used instead of the beef stock) and then chopped up the leftover ham meat for the soup. I used celeriac instead of celery and omitted the cinnamon stick and mushrooms. I also added a whole dried chili (removed with the bay leaf), which added some nice heat.

• Anonymous

• Eau Claire, WI

• 1/15/2012