I served ham at our last New Year's party and only about 2/3 of it was eaten. I threw together this soup the next day and it was so delicious. If you want ham in the soup but don't have a ham bone lying around you can buy a small fully cooked ham, such as a ham hock. If you want it to be strictly vegetarian omit the ham and use vegetable stock or water for the liquid. Our babysitter had tried a recipe for lentil soup that added a cinnamon stick to the pot and she raved about it. I was intrigued so did the same here...it added another dimension to the soup without being overpowering...I would definitely do it again.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
1 pound french lentils
1 ham bone (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 qts. chicken or beef broth
1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chopped kale
1 teaspoon vinegar
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat and add onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, lentils, ham bone, bay leaf, cinnamon, stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add salt and pepper and cook until lentils are very soft and ham is fork tender and falling off the bone. Stir kale into soup, working in batches if necessary, and cook another 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add vinegar and cook 5 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.