Ham and Lentil Soup

This healthy ham and lentil soup is made on your stovetop in just about an hour. Also, it is just as great in a slow cooker if you have to leave your home and want to come home to dinner.

If you've never tried lentils, don't wait any longer. Their health benefits and delicious flavor are a win-win!

I had never tried lentils, probably for the same reasons many people have avoided them. They are brownish, can look mushy and I had been told they taste bland. However, all of us picky eaters have been missing out.

My ham and lentil soup is loaded with nutrients thanks to the powerful lentil. My husband and I are working towards eating an anti-inflammatory diet based on the foods of the Mediterranean. In addition, I've been battling arthritis for quite some time and it is only worsening as I get older. So it is past time to use foods to help fight this and improve my quality of life!

This is what I learned about the lentil:

• They are low fat.
• Lentils are very high in fiber.
• High in protein
• Loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
• Have tons of nutrients such as folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and selenium
• If all this great info isn't enough to jump into the bean and legume world, then I don't know what it would take.

The ingredients for the ham and lentil soup are:

• Organic, low sodium vegetable broth (I've already started saving veggie leftovers to make my own!!)
• Dried lentils, rinsed well
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• Large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cups of chopped cooked ham
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• salt and pepper

I used leftover ham I had frozen about a month ago so I was happy I could use it up in this recipe. If you don't have any leftover ham, you can buy a hamsteak or two to use in the soup. These steaks tend to be pretty salty so don't add any additional salt in the soup until you taste test it.

For the stovetop version:

This is an easy soup to make and it is easily finished in about an hour. Just put all ingredients in a soup pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender. Then add in the cooked, chopped ham and heat through.

For the slow cooker version:

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Ham and lentil soup is tasty, healthy, versatile, with leftovers too. All the things I love about an easy dinner.

Here are some other soups you may like:

Red Pepper & Sweet Potato

Hamburger Veggie Soup

Sausage Minestrone Soup

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