Ham Bone Lentil Soup (Print Version)

Warm and hearty lentil soup slow-cooked with rich ham broth and mixed root vegetables.

# What You'll Need:

→ Broth Base

01 - 1 meaty ham bone, excess fat trimmed
02 - 10 cups cold water
03 - 2 bay leaves
04 - 6 black peppercorns

→ Vegetables & Lentils

05 - 1½ cups dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
06 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
07 - 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
08 - 2 medium celery stalks, diced
09 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
10 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Seasonings & Garnishes

13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
17 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Place ham bone, water, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming foam as it rises. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 1 hour 15 minutes.
02 - While broth simmers, prepare all vegetables by peeling and dicing to uniform sizes. Rinse lentils thoroughly under cold water.
03 - Remove ham bone and allow to cool slightly. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer, discarding solids. Return clarified broth to the pot.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Transfer sautéed vegetables to the broth. Add potatoes, lentils, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer over medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender.
06 - While soup simmers, pick any meat from the cooled ham bone, chop into bite-sized pieces, and return to the soup.
07 - Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves from the pot.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The ham bone creates a broth so deeply flavored you won't believe it came from something you almost discarded.
  • Lentils add protein and substance without any fussiness, and they absorb all the savory depth around them.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes better on day two, so you're actually ahead when you make it early.
02 -
  • Skimming that foam from the broth in the first few minutes really does make the difference between a murky soup and one that looks as good as it tastes.
  • Don't skip sautéing the vegetables in oil first—it adds a layer of caramelized flavor that water alone can never give you.
  • Taste before salting aggressively because the ham bone brings plenty of salt already, and you can always add more but you can't take it out.
03 -
  • Keep the ham bone and vegetable scraps to make stock—nothing gets wasted when you cook this way, and your future soups will be even richer.
  • If your lentils are older, they'll take longer to cook, so start checking them at the 30-minute mark and give yourself a buffer of extra time if needed.
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