I was going to make split pea soup with the ham bone from Easter. The only obstacle with this is only 3 of the 7 people that I would serve it to actually like it. Some of us would eat it but it’s not our first or even second choice. I would have had to pick up the split peas and I have tried to pick up a bag after Easter and the store didn’t have any, so there is that too.
I walked into my pantry and there was a half bag of red lentils, I bet I could make a yummy soup using those and I did! My husband had the last of it yesterday for lunch and made another comment at how much he liked that soup. Cool now I have another soup I can make from a ham bone without it being split pea.
Red Lentil Soup
A great way to use up a ham bone or just a really good soup to make when you want a flavorful hearty soup
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone used to make broth
- olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 8 cups broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups red lentils
- 3-4 carrots peeled and diced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Broth from ham bone
- In a large stock pot add the ham bone and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the ham bone and toss in the trash. I like to allow my homemade broth to cool and then I place it in the fridge so I can remove all the fat that solidifies on top.
Soup
- In a Dutch oven or Large soup pot and a little olive oil and the diced onions; sauté or 3-4 minutes and then add the minced garlic and tomato paste cook for a minute and then add the seasonings, Cumin, Chili Powder and a little salt and pepper. You can adjust the salt and pepper at the end. Cook all these for a couple of minutes. Add the Ham bone broth and water bring to a low boil.
- Wash a drain the lentils, add these to the broth and allow to simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes. Take some of the cooked lentil with a little broth to a blender, blend until smooth. This will help thicken your soup. Return blended lentils to your soup and add your carrots simmer for 20-30 minutes until the carrots are cooked through. Serve warm, you can add a little freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten it up if you would like.