Ham Bone Stew with Lentils

The lentil soup I created to use up a ham bone turned out to be an acceptable way to serve lentils. Isn't that nice? I wonder if I'd be able to recreate it again in the future! Here's the inspiration recipe, which used cumin, curry and thyme for seasonings. That's a combination I'd never have imagined on my own, yet it works nicely.

Ham Bone Stew with Lentils

• 1 ham bone, cooked in 4-6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks fennel or celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, lightly drained
• 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed, or spinach
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

Remove meat from ham bone; set aside for later. Save the cooking water as well.

Cook the onion, carrots, fennel and garlic in the olive oil for several minutes, until soft. Add the ham broth and seasonings along with the lentils and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes until the lentils are soft. If desired, puree half the mixture and return to the pan. Stir in the ham and spinach and heat through. Add the lemon juice just before serving.

The first time I served the soup, I did so before adding the spinach and lemon juice. It was delicious that way, but I liked the extra additions even better.