Ham and Lentil Soup

Overhead view of a bowl of lentil and ham soup.

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This Ham and Lentil Soup recipe is a hearty dinner made with simple ingredients, brown lentils, veggies, and diced ham in a flavorful broth!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $7.76 recipe / $1.29 serving

Servings: servings (1.33 cups each)

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Melissa Nolan

Equipment

Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.04
1 small onion medium dice, (2 cups, 240g) $0.47
2 ribs celery medium dice, (1½ cups, 135g) $0.36
3 carrots medium dice, (2 cups, 200g) $0.42
2 garlic cloves minced, (1 Tbsp) $0.12
1½ cups dry brown lentils rinsed, (uncooked, 275g) $1.16*
4 cups chicken broth $0.52**
3 cups water $0.00
1 tsp salt $0.04
½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
1 tsp paprika $0.10
1 tsp dried thyme $0.48
2 cooked ham steaks diced, (14oz, 396g, about 2 cups) $3.97***

Instructions

Gather and prepare all ingredients.
In a large pot over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened slightly.
Add the lentils, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, paprika, and dried thyme, and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a medium simmer. Once the soup has reached a simmer, add the cooked ham. Make sure it comes to a medium simmer again, and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
Taste the lentils for doneness. They should have the slightest bite to them. Continue cooking if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Make sure to rinse the lentils to get rid of any dust or debris.

**I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make broths to keep costs low.

***Cooked ham steak is the best ham for lentil soup when you consider the price and availability! You also don't need to simmer it for long, as it's already cooked. Look for ham steaks labeled as lower sodium if you're watching your salt intake. Ham hock is also a great choice, but it needs to be simmered for at least an hour and then shredded. You can also use about 2 cups of leftover baked ham, ham shank, cubed ham, or ham bone.

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