Home » Soup » Lentil Soup with Ham
by Stephanie on April 13, 2020 (Updated April 25, 2022)42*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
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This traditional Lentil Soup with ham is so flavorful and easy to make! Use a ham bone for more hearty flavor or keep it simple. Optional additions include potatoes, spinach, sausage, and more!
Be sure to try mysuper popular Split Pea Soup recipe next!
Lentil Soup with Ham
Guys, I can’t even take credit for this. This is my mom’s lentil soup recipe. (The best recipes come from mom, it’s a fact.)
Ilovemaking this with a big meaty ham bone and homemade chicken stock, but both are optional. Technically, you don’t even need the ham, but it adds alotof delicious flavor.
You can make this recipe in 55 minutes flat, or cook it low and slow with a ham bone all afternoon. (Just wait on adding the lentils until the time is right- read onfor what you need to know!)
Lentil Soup with a Ham Bone
Ham bonesadd tremendous flavor to soup broths. If you have one on hand, follow these instructions for using it:
- Use an uncleaned ham bone. When you remove the bone from the soup at the end of cooking, use two forks to shred the delicious pink meat from it and add it to the soup.
- Use 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup beef broth, and 3 cups water.
- Add everything to the potexcept for the lentils.No need to soften the vegetables first. They float to the surface of the soup and cook/soften in the fat from the ham bone
- Bring to a rapid boil, then decrease to a simmer.
- Simmer for at least 2-3 hours. The longer, the more flavorful your soup will be.
- Add the lentils during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
- Remove the ham bone, add in the ham, and serve.
Ham Bone Substitutes
- Bone-in Picnic Shoulder or smoked ham shank
The following substitutions work well, however I recommend you use1 cup of water instead of 3 for these:
- Ham hock.
- Chopped salted pork and/or chopped smoked bacon can also be substituted.
Can You Overcook Lentils?
Yes, cooking lentils for too long will cause them to become mushy.
Cooking them at a rapid boilwill also cause them to get mushy. Simmer them slowly to keep them intact.
What to Add to Lentil Soup
- Diced Potatoes– Add when you add the lentils.
- Cooked Sausage
- SpinachorKale
- Cooked & Crumbled Bacon– Good alternative to ham
- Diced Tomatoes
- Parmesan Cheese-To Garnish
Try These Next!
- Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew
- Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
- Ham and Bean Soup (Stove Top, Slow Cooker, or Instant Pot!)
- Ham Casserole with Broccoli and Rice
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Lentil Soup with Ham
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
5 from 14 ratings
Servings: 6 servings
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This traditional lentil soup recipe has perfectly cooked lentils along with vegetables and ham in a simple and flavorful broth.
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup diced ham
- 1 cup Lentils
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 sprigs fresh
Instructions
Lentil Soup with no Ham Bone
Heat the butter and the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the ham and tomato paste. Cook for additional 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add broth, lentils, and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. Serve!
Lentil Soup with a Ham Bone
Note: Use an uncleaned ham bone. When you remove the bone from the soup at the end of cooking, use two forks to shred the meat from it and add it to the soup.
Use 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup beef broth, and 3 cups water.
Add everything to the potexcept for the lentils.No need to soften the vegetables first. They float to the surface of the soup and cook/soften in the fat from the ham bone
Bring to a rapid boil, then decrease to a simmer.
Simmer for as long as you can, at least 2-3 hours. The longer, the more flavorful your soup will be.
Add the lentils during the last 45 minutes of cooking and simmer gently.
Remove the ham bone, add in the ham, and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 198kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 1200mg, Potassium: 656mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3721IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie
Dinner Healthy Our Favorite Recipes Soup
posted by Stephanie on April 13, 2020 — 42 Comments »
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42 comments on “Lentil Soup with Ham”
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Christopher Jarvis — August 23, 2023 @ 10:26 am Reply
A great recipe that I made today.
Not having any ham I substituted it with Spanish Chorizo and was delighted with the result-
Stephanie — August 23, 2023 @ 10:53 am Reply
I’m so happy that you loved the soup Christopher!! Nice substitution too, I’ll have to try that sometime! Thank you so much for the review! -Stephanie
See AlsoBest Lentil Soup
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Katie — October 26, 2022 @ 1:19 pm Reply
I’m excited to try this soup. I have not cooked with lentils before. I’m wondering about the amount of broth? It seems like a lot. Do lentils absorb liquid? Or is it meant to be a really broth soup?
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Stephanie — October 26, 2022 @ 3:41 pm Reply
The the lentils absorb a lot of liquid, but there is also a nice amount of broth after they are done absorbing.
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John Jarret — September 10, 2022 @ 9:03 am Reply
Ok cozy cook.I have been making lentil soup for years.my parents (both) made it all the time.my Dad loved to cook.As a small boy my job was to sift through the lentils for small rocks and gravel.I thought it was so cool.The big thing in my parents recipe was one or two smoked hocks from our butcher.Growing up in Brooklyn NY in the 60s was magical.There was a separate store for everything.Then there was the Brooklyn terminal market,where you could get everything.My dad told me that a lot of people didn’t make lentel soup anymore,was that during the great depression lentils were plentyful but cheap.Then came W W 2 and all there was a lot more lentils.Of course this was the 60s so WW 2 was a lot easier for me to visualize than telling kids now days.I don’t know if you could get a kid to look up from their I phone long enough to even begin to tell a story.hey their loss.good luck cozy cooker.Try the smoked hocks.
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Stephanie — September 10, 2022 @ 10:16 pm Reply
That sounds like such a crazy job, picking lentils!
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Janis Fults — September 7, 2022 @ 6:37 pm Reply
Just made this with leftover ham and hambone and it was delicious!
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Stephanie — September 7, 2022 @ 8:46 pm Reply
Yummmmm! To me hambones are like gold! Thanks so much for the great review Janis!❤️
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Cheryl — February 24, 2022 @ 11:08 pm Reply
This is so good. Now I know what to do with the ham bone from my honey baked ham.
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Stephanie — February 25, 2022 @ 1:57 pm Reply
Hi Cheryl! I am so happy that you liked the soup! This is always next in line for me when I have leftover ham! (Right after pea soup!) – Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
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Margaret — January 13, 2022 @ 2:53 pm Reply
Added full can of tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Delicious
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Stephanie — January 13, 2022 @ 7:06 pm Reply
Thanks so much for the great review Margaret! I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup!😃
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Alice — December 23, 2021 @ 1:39 pm Reply
Are these uncooked lentils? Or canned? Thanks 😊
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Stephanie — December 23, 2021 @ 2:42 pm Reply
Hi Alice! They’re uncooked lentils! ❤️
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Alice — December 23, 2021 @ 4:11 pm
Thanks 😊 I’ve got a pot on the stove now for dinner ♥️My house smells amazing. Can’t wait to eat it. Thanks for the recipe ☺️
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Stephanie — December 23, 2021 @ 4:33 pm
I am so happy to hear that Alice, this recipe is one of my favorites from my mom! 🙂 Enjoy!!! -Stephanie
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Alice — December 23, 2021 @ 6:46 pm
Thanks 😊 I’ve got a pot on the stove now for dinner ♥️My house smells amazing. Can’t wait to eat it. Thanks for the recipe ☺️ *** The family loved it and so did I.
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Stephanie — December 24, 2021 @ 9:26 am
You’re very welcome! Happy to hear it was a success!😃
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Judy Johnson — May 16, 2021 @ 9:38 pm Reply
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I just made this for my 91 year old father and he kept saying how great it was. I will definitely make it again.
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Judy Johnson — May 16, 2021 @ 9:43 pm Reply
I forget I made a ham bone stock the day before and used that for the chicken stock and beef stock and supplemented that with water. So delious!
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Stephanie — May 17, 2021 @ 8:05 am
Great job! Ham bones are like gold around here! Definitely the key to making the best soups!
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Stephanie — May 17, 2021 @ 8:06 am
Great job! Ham bones are like gold around here! Makes such a big difference in soup recipes!
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Stephanie — May 17, 2021 @ 8:04 am Reply
I’m so happy to hear your father liked it so much!😃 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
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