When I think of ham I’m reminded of how my mother and grandmothers added a leftover ham bone and chunks of ham to a pot of beans for flavor. The saltiness of the meat infuses a simple water broth with a flavor and aroma that reminds me of my grandmothers’ kitchens, and so every time we prepare a ham, I always freeze the bone and larger clumps of meat to go into a pot of soup at some future date.
This is an easy soup because the lentils cook quickly and it doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, so it’s also easy on the budget. I like the flavor of the parsnips in it, a slightly sweet balance to the ham, though you can use yellow potatoes if you prefer. Serve it with real Southern buttermilk cornbread, either on the side or crumbled in the bowl with the soup where it will soak up all the goodness of the broth.
- 1 pound (454 g) dry brown lentils, rinsed well
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 parsnips, peeled and diced (or 3 yellow potatoes)
- 1 ham bone
- 1 pound (454 g) cooked ham, diced
- 4 quarts water
- SERVE WITH
- Southern buttermilk cornbread
- In the medium bowl, cover the rinsed lentils with clean water and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
- In the large pot, sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil until they soften and glisten, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the parsnips, ham bone, diced ham, water, and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a simmer until the parsnips and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the ham bone and serve the soup with cornbread.
8-quart pot with lid
medium bowl
More Budget Soup Recipes
KalynsKitchen says
January 28, 2011 at 1:44 pmThat sounds just delicious. I love lentils no matter how you cook them!
Andrea says
January 28, 2011 at 2:50 pmThanks Kalyn! Lentils are one of my favorite foods.
the wicked noodle says
January 28, 2011 at 2:51 pmI’m loving lentil soups all of a sudden and this version looks extra-delish!
Diane-thewholegang says
January 29, 2011 at 12:54 pmMan as I was letting the dog out into the snow and I was standing there freezing this morning I thought I’d really like some lentil and sausage soup. I’ve never made one and then I see this recipe just waiting for me. Very cool. Thanks. Time to get cooking.