Tucking into a bowl of this soup on a cold winter’s night is deeply satisfying. The combination of herbs and spices adds a heady aroma that fortifies the soup with richness. I developed this recipe because I had leftover ham on hand from a delicious bone-in roasted ham. If you don’t have leftovers, simply buy some thick cut (1 in.) black forest deli ham and use that.
Note: This is one of those recipes that is actually thicker and heartier than a soup, but it’s not quite a stew. Feel free to thin it out with more beef stock or even some water.
Serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cooking onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2″ piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup diced ham (175 grams)
1 can lentils (540ml) drained and rinsed
4 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups frozen kale
Heat oil in a soup pot placed over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme and bay and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, cumin, pepper and cloves. Stir and cook for another 2 min.
Add the ham, lentils and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook covered for 15 min, stirring occasionally.
Add in the frozen kale and cook for another 5 min.
Serve with a biscuit or a piece of crusty bread.
Download a printable version of this recipe here.