This is a smooth hearty soup with small pieces of ham. If a ham bone is not available, bacon or hickory smoked ham are fine substitutions.Based on a recipe from The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne, 1961, Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, p 63.
1ham boneor substitute 6 thick slices bacon trimmed of fat or hickory smoked ham and diced 1/2", 1 1/2 cups.
1bay leaf
2whole cloves
dash cayenne pepper
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/2teaspoonsalt or to taste
chopped parsleyfor garnish
Instructions
Instructions if Using Ham Bone or Bacon
In 6-quart stock pot heat canola oil over medium heat. If substituting bacon for ham bone, add bacon with oil. Add vegetables and garlic; cook 10 minutes.
Add lentils and ham bone. Place bay leaf and cloves in a tea ball or tie in a piece of cheesecloth and add to pot. Add cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently about two hours.
Discard cheesecloth. Remove ham bone and any chunks of ham; dice ham and set aside. Puree soup using an immersion blender, blender, or food mill. Stir in reserved ham. Reheat soup and add salt if necessary. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.
Instructions if Using Precooked Hickory Smoked Ham
In 6-quart stock pot heat canola oil over medium heat. Add vegetables and garlic; cook 10 minutes.
Add lentils and ham bone. Place bay leaf and cloves in a tea ball or tie in a piece of cheesecloth and add to pot. Add cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until vegetables and lentils are soft, about 35 minutes.
Set aside tea ball or cheesecloth with spices. Puree soup using an immersion blender, blender, or food mill. Return soup to pot. Stir in diced ham. Replace tea ball with spices. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.
Notes
This soup can be easily doubled using one ham bone and a larger pot.