You know how you buy that bag of Lentils, Black and Navy beans raw thinking you will soak them overnight and make a delicious soup. Then the bag ends us getting lost in the pantry til Christmas where it resurfaces just in time for leftovers.
This really is about cleaning out the pantry and fridge using every possible thing in the soup. We were blessed with a Honey Baked Ham this year so after we devoured the ham at New Years for a party, then with sandwiches after that to save the bone for "The Soup".
I followed the directions of the beans on the package and began the process. I put the ham bone with leftover meat in the boiling water once I got to that step to add flavor and yes "fat".
Then I decided to put as much in it as I could. I put all organic onion, zucchini, herbs, salt, pepper, fresh spinach, and carrot peels sliced thin and chopped cabbage. It doesn't sound like a lot but it was a three step process so the savoring became inevitable.
The soup as it bubbled and spewed into a velvety thickness that rivaled stew the flavors began to gel together and form a very hearty and tasty delightfully filling soup. I literally have eaten now for four meals. Paired with my cornbread recipe from Friday, November 12, 2010 you have a salty sweet thang going on!
Enjoy.
1package lentil beans rinsed and soaked, drained and boiled
1Honey Baked Ham bone with meat
2 onion
2 big bunches of spinach
2 zucchini
1/2 cabbage head chopped
4 large carrots peeled slices into flat thin slices.
Then cut remainder of carrot and put into soup
Use Murry River Finishing Salt from Aussie and the Savory Spice Shop in Austin.
Let Ham bone cook at least 1 hour in lentil water then remove and let cool while adding other vegetables and let cook. Other vegetables can be added whatever you like
Then pick meat off bone and discard bone
Let soup cook another 30 minutes or so. Better the next day and the next....great to freeze too.
Looks especially nice in my Paula Deen Stock Pot....
