Red Lentils and Smoked Ham Soup

I absolutely love trying new ingredients and creating with new foods. A co-worker of mine kept suggesting I use Red Lentils to cook. Since the outer coating is removed, it is one of the easier peas to prepare. Without the lengthy pre-soak or using a pressure cooker to soften, you simply give it 15-20 minutes depending on the texture you desire and voila. Despite its beautiful red color, when cooked it becomes a pale almost yellow color similar in resemblance to the yellow Split Pea. I decided to use this pretty pea in a soup and I was most definitely not disappointed. I hope you enjoy trying this recipe as much as I did.

Ingredients

2 cups Red Lentils 2 large Potatoes peeled and cubed Smoke Ham pieces (I used a pack of 7 large chunks) 1 cup cubed Pumpkin 2 medium Carrots sliced 6 cloves Garlic crushed and chopped 3 Pimentos chopped 5 medium Ochro sliced 1 large Onion slice 1 pk Maggie soup 1 tsp Turmeric (optional this is for color) Pepper to taste Salt to taste Pinch Black pepper

Dumplings 2 cups Flour 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Water

Method ●Add lentils to a small saucepan of water and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 20 mins or until peas are so soft they're breaking up. ●Remove from heat and using mixer or swizzle stick (dhal gutney) mix peas until it further dissolves in the water (the aim is to break down the peas into the water as much as possible) ●Add peas to a big sauce pan or pot with some depth. Add potatoes and carrots and smoked ham and boil for 10 mins until the begin to soften but aren't cooked all the way through. ●While potatoes and carrots are boiling put together dough for dumplings by adding salt to the flour the mixing in the water gradually to bring flour together forming form dough. Set aside. ●When potatoes begin to soften crush and chop garlic, slice ochro in halfband slice onion, chop pimentos and add to the pot. Add maggie soup as well and stir cook for approximately 5 mins then add pumpkin, ochro and dumplings. (Create dumplings using whichever shape desired I usually make four long rolls with the dough and cut into smaller pieces and add it to the pot) ●When dumplings have been added season soup with black pepper, salt and hot pepper and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 10-15 mins ●Remove soup from heat and serve piping hot but most importantly enjoy.

Thanks for joining me for another session of Food Therapy. Hope to see you soon ❤