Lentil Soup with Ham and Potatoes
The word health has become a bit of a buzzword in the last couple years. You can find every kind of expert (I use that term with a heavy dose of dry sarcasm) on the internet and very likely in your ear from a well-intentioned friend sharing their ‘secrets’ and promising all sorts of results in the name of ‘health’ for just $99 and a three-month contract.
I’ve spent a lot of headspace in the last couple years thinking about how to be healthier. I’ve dieted and exercised. I’ve dabbled in Keto and intermittent fasting. I cut out dairy and attempted to give up sugar. But what I found was it only increased my obsession with ‘bad’ foods and in general made me feel worse. My quest to be healthy was really just a thinly veiled effort at having a smaller body which in all reality has nothing to do with being healthy.
As I’ve muddled my way through what it means to be healthy (especially as somebody who loves to cook and eat) here’s where I’ve landed: food is meant to be eaten and enjoyed. Food is more than a transaction. Food is culture. It is memory. So my vow is to make peace with it all. Nothing is off-limits. Food nourishes and restores the body and is meant to be enjoyed and savored. The two go hand in hand.
For me, this means cooking mostly homemade food. More than anything what has helped me sift through all the noise surrounding health is simply to be mindful about what goes into my refrigerator and ultimately on my plate. I want to know what I’m eating and I want what I eat to be real ingredients. I try to incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables into my everyday recipes and take seriously what journalist and renowned food writer Michael Pollan recommends; ‘eat food, not too much, mostly plants.’
Living in Yakima we have the unique benefit of accessing a plethora of real food right at our fingertips. We can visit local farmers markets and fruit stands almost half the year and find local produce at the grocery store all year long. We can literally watch our food grow almost anywhere we look in our Valley.
When I’m looking to add extra vegetables into my meals I often rely on soups to get me there, especially in the winter. Soup tends to be incredibly forgiving and lends itself to hiding ingredients I might otherwise avoid. Just about any kind of vegetable becomes appetizing simmering in a warm pot of broth.
This particular recipe for lentil soup with ham and potatoes is a family favorite. Everyone eats it and I often make a big batch on the weekends for easy lunches or a quick weeknight dinner. I add a couple big handfuls of kale or spinach just before serving to up the fiber content and add a bit of green to the pot. This soup is reminiscent of the lovely children’s book Stone Soup; it’s just a little bit of this and that added to the pot with a generous pinch of salt and a little bit of patience. The outcome is a hearty, vegetable-forward bowl of goodness, perfect for nourishing body and soul.
Lentil Soup with Ham and Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion
2 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups baby red potatoes diced
1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
10-12 ounces ham steak or 4 pieces center-cut bacon diced
1 cup red lentils rinsed and drained
2 32-ounce boxes low-sodium chicken broth
4-6 cups baby spinach OR chopped kale
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper divided
Parmesan cheese for garnish
In a large dutch oven sauté onion, carrot and celery over medium-low heat until onion is translucent. Add garlic to the pot and cook for an additional two minutes. Salt and pepper vegetable mixture.
Add potatoes, ham and tomatoes to the pot along with the bay leaf and dried thyme. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring often, for an additional three or four minutes.
Add lentils and chicken stock to the pot. Stir in honey, balsamic vinegar and more salt and pepper. Simmer soup uncovered on low-heat for at least an hour until lentils are tender and potatoes are cooked through.
Taste broth to make sure it’s rich and flavorful. Add a little more salt if necessary. Ten minutes before serving, stir in spinach or kale. Allow the greens to simmer for about five minutes before turning off the heat. Let the soup rest an additional five minutes before serving.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top with a sprinkle of freshly shaved parmesan and a hunk of crusty bread. Soup serves 6 to 8 portions.