Granny makes lovely Lentil Soup! This is how it's done.
Ask the butcher for a ham bone and add it to 3 pints of water in a large pan. If you don't have a bone, use two ham stock cubes with the 3 pints of water.
Measure out 200g red lentils and chop (roughly, if you are going to blend the finished soup; finely, if not) 200g each of onions, carrots and swede. Add a sprig of parsley if you have one. Add these to the water and ham. Grind in some black pepper, but don't add salt, because the ham bone may be salty.
Bring this to a simmer. Scum will form on the top if you have used a fresh meat bone. This can be removed, or stirred in.
Allow the soup to simmer gently for one hour.
In the meantime, find something peaceful to do - read a book!
Ask the butcher for a ham bone and add it to 3 pints of water in a large pan. If you don't have a bone, use two ham stock cubes with the 3 pints of water.
Measure out 200g red lentils and chop (roughly, if you are going to blend the finished soup; finely, if not) 200g each of onions, carrots and swede. Add a sprig of parsley if you have one. Add these to the water and ham. Grind in some black pepper, but don't add salt, because the ham bone may be salty.
Bring this to a simmer. Scum will form on the top if you have used a fresh meat bone. This can be removed, or stirred in.
Allow the soup to simmer gently for one hour.
In the meantime, find something peaceful to do - read a book!
Finally, remove the bone, liquidise the soup and check the seasoning. Finish with freshly chopped parsley.
If you are not going to blend the soup smooth, remove the bone and the parsley sprig and stir through freshly chopped parsley. (Sometimes it's nice to blend half the soup so that you get a textured soup.)
Serves 8
There are one or two things you can do with the meat from the ham bone. You can give it to the lucky dog, as I did, or you can shred it and stir it into the soup or you can use it for a sandwich or to add to a risotto. The meat today was delicious and would have made a lovely ham roll!
There are one or two things you can do with the meat from the ham bone. You can give it to the lucky dog, as I did, or you can shred it and stir it into the soup or you can use it for a sandwich or to add to a risotto. The meat today was delicious and would have made a lovely ham roll!
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