Out of laziness comes…another pot of soup.

I bet you’re thinking that all we eat in this house is soup.

While that’s not the case, for some reason lately, I just want the whole “comfort food” feeling without a lot of slave labor.

I have been feeling like doing a whole lot of nothing for the past few weeks, which is why the Christmas decorations are still on display. I am hoping I get over this lethargy soon; I think part of it is due to preparing the company’s annual banquet, which is in 2 weeks.

Anyway, I bought a bag of lentils a few weeks ago and since then, they have languished in the cabinet, waiting for me to figure out what to do with them. Several times, I have taken out the bag and set it on the counter, only to return it a few hours later after finding something else to cook or eat.

I decided since I haven’t done crap all weekend but read blogs and rot my brain with TV, I could at least make something good for dinner that can also take care of this week’s lunches. Again with the laziness – sheesh.

Lentils are new to both myself and The Man. He’s willing to try them, which is all I can ask for. I promised grilled cheese if he hates this soup.

Ham, Potato & Lentil Soup

Stock:

12 cups water
1 ham bone (mine was leftover from Christmas Eve; about an 11-pound ham)
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
A sprinkle of sea salt (remember that ham is salty enough on its own)

Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of hours. When the time is up, pour the soup through a sieve to remove all the aromatics (I suggest taking out the ham bone first LOL).

To make the soup:

1 ham stock recipe (above)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery ribs, diced
3 good-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
A 1-pound bag of lentils
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme (I would imagine fresh is a heck of a lot better, but I wasn’t going out in the rain)
A couple grinds of fresh black pepper
Diced ham (I bought a ham steak to add in because my ham bone had less meat than I thought).
2 tsp dried parsley (see my comment by the thyme)

Rinse and drain the lentils. Bring the stock to a boil, add the thyme, and then add the lentils; reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Simmer again for 30 minutes. Give the soup a few grinds of pepper.

Dice the ham and add to the soup, along with the parsley. Continue to simmer until the ham is heated through.

Serve with crusty bread (I had the teff no-knead bread tonight).