Lentil Soup with Ham and Kale

What better way to warm your body and mind with a comforting bowl of hot soup.  I made a very large pot of this delicious lentil soup to keep us fed so that we wouldn't have to venture out to the grocery stores as it was so cold. 

I've always been a fan of lentil soup and have been making it for years, but when I found this recipe, I knew it would make my old standby pale in comparison.  Right I was!

Bay leaf, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, white wine, chicken stock and fresh kale all combined to make the most outstanding lentil soup I've tasted. I also added a splash of sherry for flavor.

This is what happens to your kitchen window with a steamy pot of soup brewing on a frigid day:

Oh, to see green outside my windows again! 

Speaking of green, just an FYI for those of you who like to grow your own herbs in the summer.  At the end of the growing season - before my thyme freezes, I cut off all of the stems, wash and spin them dry in my salad spinner and then lay them out on a towel to completely dry.  I put them in zipper bags and freeze them to use in all the recipes that call from thyme during the winter and early spring.  Just throw whole sprigs in your recipe and remove the stems after cooking.  The leaves will soften and fall off during cooking.

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Lentil Soup with Ham and Kale

Adapted from Cooks Country

Printable Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ham bone, plus 2 cups leftover chopped ham *see note
1/2 pound kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
Salt and pepper 

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add lentils, carrots, and onion and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine (and sherry, if using) and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper flakes and bring to boil.

Add ham bone or shanks, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until thickened and lentils are completely tender, about 1 hour.

Discard ham bone and bay leaf. Puree 2 cups soup until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot and stir in kale and ham. Simmer, covered, until kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

*Note: I doubled the lentils and increased the rest of the recipe by 1/2.  I used 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock plus 1 cup water as I wanted a thicker soup. I used 2 smoked ham shanks and had the deli cut a 1/2" slice of my favorite baked ham that I diced.