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Andrew Fowler

Ham and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms

Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb meaty smoked ham hocks
  • 8 cups water for stock plus enough to restore strained stock to 5 cups
  • 1 medium yellow onion quartered
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup dry French green lentils sorted and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen peeled pearl onions
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt only if needed

Method
 

  1. Put hocks, stock water, onion, and bay in large pot. Gently simmer; skim foam and partly cover. Cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours until meat tender and pulls from bones.
  2. Lift hocks onto tray. Strain stock; discard onion and bay, skim excess fat, and measure 5 cups, adding water if needed.
  3. Once cool to handle, discard skin, bones, and gristle; tear usable meat bite-size.
  4. Heat butter and oil in clean soup pot over medium-high. Brown mushrooms 7 to 8 minutes; add garlic 30 seconds. Add wine; reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add measured stock, lentils, pearl onions, thyme, pepper, and meat. Simmer partly covered 30 to 40 minutes until lentils tender but intact and ham 165°F.
  6. Add sherry vinegar; taste before adding up to measured salt. Divide among six bowls.