Name: Hearty Lentil and Ham Soup
Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 quarts
Ingredients: 1 leftover smoked ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks; 1 pound lentils (about 2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed; 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups); 3 onions, chopped coarse; 1 cup chopped carrot; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 3 1/2 cups beef broth; 8 cups water

Here is an almost effortless soup. Everything goes into the pot at once, and the finished dish is just the thing on a cold winter day.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 3 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

1 leftover smoked ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks

1 pound lentils (about 2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed

1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)

3 onions, chopped coarse

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

3 1/2 cups beef broth

8 cups water

Preparation

In a 6- to 8-quart kettle combine all ingredients and simmer soup, covered partially, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick and remove meat from bone or hocks. Chop meat and stir into soup.