Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup chopped celery stalk (save the leaves, too!)
- 1/3 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 2 – 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ham bone, trimmed roughly
- 1/4 cup juices from cooking the ham (skim off the fat and scoop up some of the jellied stuff that collects at the bottom of the ham pan)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2/3 cup lentils (I used red lentils, but you could use green or brown ones too)
- 2/3 cup dried chickpeas
- 7 cups of water
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup canned tomatoes with juices
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
For garnish: fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a stockpot, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the garnish and the leaves from the celery), bring to a boil and cook until the lentils and chickpeas are soft and the flavors have melded. This might take an hour or two or longer … I’m not sure exactly how long I cooked mine as I just got it started and let it cook while I was doing other things.
- Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and more ham if you like. Personally, I like more vegies and beans than meat, but go ahead and add meat if that is your heart’s desire.
- If you want to reduce the fat in your soup, chill it overnight, then skim off the fat that collects on the top.
- About 15 minutes before serving, chop the celery leaves and add to the pot.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
I’m guessing on the cook time! Just put a pot of this stew on the stove and let it cook while you’re relaxing at home, stopping by to check on it every once in a while.