February 18, 2019 marks Family Day in my province of Alberta, Canada. A holiday to promote family values and spending time together as a family. Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup is perfect for your family day weekend. Super easy to toss together in your slow cooker, and forget about until dinner time. Giving you the whole day to spend with your family without having to worry about dinner until the last few touches are required, which is hours later.
Dinner is ready…
With just a couple of last minute touches to the soup, the whole family can enjoy a hearty and satisfying soup made from scratch. It’s a wonderful bowlful to warm everyone up from a day of outdoor activities even if it’s not a holiday. The recipe makes about 10 cups and freezes well too.
To ham or not to ham…
I love the subtle smokiness a ham bone can bring to soup and I just happen to have a ham bone leftover from the holidays. If a ham bone isn’t available to you, a smoked pork hock works just as well and they’re readily available all year. I also like the texture and flavour of meaty little bites of ham throughout the soup too, so I’ll definitely ham it up when I can. But don’t fret, this is a lovely vegan soup without the ham if that is your preference. The dill and vinegar in the recipe add a little brightness to the soup and helps to cut the starchiness of the lentils. It’s so, so good.
Now, about the lentil…
I could rattle on and on about the lentil, but the lentils website is very informative about the varieties, nutrition and cooking of the lentil. It’s a good read with lots of information.
Rinse and drain lentils. Add lentils along with onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme to your slow cooker.
Cut excess ham away from bone and save for later.
Add ham bone and 7 cups of broth to slow cooker. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for about 7 hours, stirring once or twice.
While soup is cooking, coursely chop or shred ham. Cover and refrigerate until soup is ready.
Remove ham bone and bay leaf from soup. Adjust consistency with the additional cup of broth. Stir in chopped ham and white vinegar. Cover and allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes to warm ham. Add a generous sprinkle of fresh dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh dill.
Recipe Notes
a smoked pork hock will work in place of a meaty ham bone.
for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable broth and omit the ham and sour cream.
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No meat? No problem, these crispy Lentil Cakes with Cucumber Raita have plenty of protein and are packed full of flavour. Consider making a meatless meal for one night a week for a healthy choice, and a great way to introduce and explore other foods.
Eating vegetarian, also known as vegetarianism is one of the oldest known diets, going way waaaay back to the 7th century BCE (Wikipedia). While along the way there’s been many adaptations and rationales, the primary focus has always been the abstinence of meat. A vegetarian diet can be healthy and just as nutritious and delicious as a meat eaters diet.
Today, vegetarianism is going strong and popular around the world. There are many different variations that may include eating eggs, dairy or fish, making following a vegetarian diet easy and hassle free. Â Thanks to the internet, finding great recipes that support a vegetarian diet is easy, leaving you no excuse not to explore the possibilities.
One of the biggest considerations for a vegetarian is getting enough protein. These Lentil Cakes pack in approximately 15 grams of protein per serving, plus there’re high in fibre, and low in saturated fat. I love this recipe not only because of its nutritional component, but because they’re crispy, crunchy in an oddly good way and the raita is the perfect cool, spicy tang to top it all off. Enjoy!
Combine rice and lentils in a medium bowl, rinse and drain. Cover by 2-3 inches of water and allow to soak overnight. Drain well and scoop into food processor. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and puree until a coarse paste. Add peas and pulse 2-3 times to break apart slightly. Scoop mixture into a medium bowl and stir in chopped herbs, scallions and spinach.
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