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Lentil Soup

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.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: Gluten Free, Soups
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Catherine Christiano

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 3/4 cup carrots approximately 2 medium, roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup onions approximately 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup celery approximately 2 stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 1/2 quarts water preheat in microwave to save time
  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 1 ham bone or substitute 6 thick slices bacon trimmed of fat or hickory smoked ham and diced 1/2", 1 1/2 cups.
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole cloves
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • chopped parsley for 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.