Lentil Soup with Ham

Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup with Ham

There is more than just a chill in the air today.  It is downright cold, rainy and blustery in the Seattle area.  It was the kind of day where you hated to go outside.  Perfect for a steaming bowl of spicy soup.  This soup is from The Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook, by Nicola Graimes.  I cubed a couple small gluten-free ham steaks and added them to the soup at the very end.  Even though it involves a good deal of chopping, I usually have it on the table in an hour.  You'll need only a cup of lentils, 5 cups of stock, an onion, six carrots (I used 3 huge organic ones) and one stick of celery and one potato (I used Yukon Gold), olive oil, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, coriander and paprika, salt and pepper. The recipe calls for cilantro garnish, which I usually forget to buy (!)

I have made this soup entirely vegan and I have made it with ham, or with chicken or turkey sausage and chicken stock.  Today I used 4 cups chicken stock and one cup water. Check out the cookbook for the recipe. There are many good ones there.

Stay warm out there!

Karen, herself