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
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Heat oil in a soup pot placed over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme and bay and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally.
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Add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, cumin, pepper and cloves. Stir and cook for another 2 min.
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Add the ham, lentils and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook covered for 15 min, stirring occasionally.
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Add in the frozen kale and cook for another 5 min.
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Serve with a biscuit or a piece of crusty bread.
Download a printable version of this recipe here.