Lentil and Ham Soup ***Variations***

Variation #1

8-10 cups good, rich soup stock or canned chicken broth.
• 1/2 pound (1-1/2 cups) lentils
• 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped leeks
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 2 cups diced, roasted tomatoes with juice or 1 15-ounce can chopped, stewed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

I simmered the meaty ham bone with onions, celery, carrots and 2 bay leaves for several hours, strained the broth and then began preparation of this simple and hearty soup.  If you have any chunks of ham from the bone, remove them and slice into bite sized pieces.  Add at the end of the simmering process.

Wash and pick over the lentils. Place in large pot with the soup stock and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1-1/2 hours, or until lentils are soft.

Saute bacon pieces in a large saute pan. Add leeks, carrots and onion and saute till tender and add to the lentils. Add salt and pepper, thyme, mustard and vinegar. Simmer for about an hour. If you want a thicker soup turn up the heat and reduce to desired consistency. Add a can of chicken stock if the soup is a little thick.

The pot can simmer on the back of the stove for several hours and the flavors just get better.

Variation #2

10-12 ServingsPrep: 5 min. Cook: 2 hours 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1 meaty ham bone
• 6 cups water
• 1-1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 to 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 12 ounces bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, bring ham bone and water to a boil. Reduce heat;
• cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove ham bone. To broth, add the lentils, tomatoes, carrots,
• celery, onions and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover
• and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are
• tender.
• Meanwhile, remove ham from bone; coarsely chop. Add the ham, sausage
• and parsley to soup; heat through. Yield: 10-12 servings (3 quarts).

Variation #3

Serving Ideas : You can also add ground beef or ham if you would like to, but it certainly isn’t necessary. If you don’t have the carrots, that’s fine too, and one onion will do if that’s all you have on hand.

1/2 pound bacon — chopped
2 whole onions — chopped
3 stalks celery — with leaves
2 whole carrots — diced
3 cloves garlic — minced
1 pound lentils — washed
2 pounds canned tomatoes — with juice
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or more if you like thyme
1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt

1. In a large, heavy pot sauté the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered. If you are using grocery store bacon, you may want to pour off some of the fat. If using meaty bacon, leave the fat in the pan. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are semi-transparent. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, herbs and chiles and lentils, then add water to about 1-2 inches above the level of the bean mixture in the pot. You may have to add additional water as the lentils cook.
2. Simmer for about 45 minutes or an hour until the lentils are completely cooked through, adding additional water if needed. Add salt to taste, and add pepper if desired.

Variation #4

Spicy Lentil Soup

I found this recipe on the TastingSpoons.com site and just can't wait to try it...  But it looks so good I just want to share it since I was talking about Lentil Soup recipes!