Lentil Soup with Ham

Here is a recipe for leftover ham. I admit it, for Christmas I made a ham. Unfortunately, there were just the two of us to eat it - resulting in lots of leftover ham. I froze a fair amount for later in the year as I'll not make another ham until next Christmas, if then. It was fortunate I planned to make this since, Alex, our Russian exchange student returned to spend New Years with us.  He is definitely a meat eater, so this worked for his taste. The soup is adaptable and takes to leftover vegetables. Experiment with different herbs too.  Adapted from a Food Network Kitchen recipe.


Lentil Soup with Ham

1 T olive oil
3/4 cup diced ham
1 onion, diced
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 carrot, diced
3 to 4 medium sized potatoes, diced
salt and pepper
3 1/2 cups water
1 to 3 t of Better than Bouillon chicken flavor (I used 2 t)
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
3 T plain yogurt - I used regular, Greek probably would work, mix it into a half cup of soup before adding so it goes into solution easier
lemon juice

Heat the oil, add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the ham and 1/2 of the thyme sprigs, sauté until some of the ham picks up a bit of color. Add the carrots and potatoes, 1/2 cup of water and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until the carrots have softened, about 8 minutes on medium heat. Add the water, Better than Bullion, and the lentils. Cook at a simmer until lentils are falling apart and the potatoes are soft, about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Remove the thyme stalks. Stir in the yogurt and peas. Remove thyme leaves from the reserved stalks and add to the soup. Put in a good squeeze of lemon juice. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve. Offer preserved lemon and more lemon juice, at the table.