This slow cooker Ham and Lentil Soup is a wonderful, delicious surprise.

It’s easy, it’s light and it’s filling. The best part about Ham and Lentil Soup is that it’s made in a slow cooker!  So the slow cooker does all the work for you. It’s a no-fuss kind of dinner.

Ingredients needed:

• chicken broth
• onion
• celery
• carrots
• lentils
• ham
• fresh thyme
• fresh spinach
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

What’s the best slow cooker to buy?

I’ve had the best slow cooker for a good number of years now. It’s the Hamilton Beach 6-quart Set and Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker. I never expected it to last this long, and I’d buy the same one again if my current one bit the dust.

I love this slow cooker for a number of reasons. It automatically switches to “warm” when it’s done cooking, so if you’re out and about when your recipe is done cooking then it won’t over-cook or go cold. It has a temperature probe, so you can keep an eye on meat temperatures during the slow cooking process. And it has a lid that clips on, so it’s easy to bring with you to a party.

How to make easy slow cooker Ham and Lentil Soup:

This is one of those recipe where you throw everything in your slow cooker and that’s it. There is no pre-cooking of anything at all. In your slow cooker, add chicken broth, water, chopped onion, chopped celery, dried lentils, ham and fresh thyme. Then you can set the slow cooker for 7 hours on low or for 4 hours on high.

When the slow cooker’s timer goes off, add in fresh spinach and stir to combine. The spinach will wilt and cook immediately.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls for serving. Garnish with some shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, if you’d like.

I find that I like having this Ham and Lentil Soup around to eat a nice warm cup of soup for lunch. That means that leftovers are awesome. This soup will be perfectly fine to serve the following day. If the lentils happen to soak up the liquid overnight, just add a little more chicken broth or water to the soup. Enjoy!

Here are a few more recipes with ham that you might enjoy:

• Ham and Cheese Manicotti
• Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Creamy Parmesan Noodles with Ham
• Ham and Bean Skillet Spaghetti
• Ham and Cheese Baked Gnocchi
• Cheesy Ham Casserole
• Overnight Ham and Cheese Bake
• Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Print

Ham and Lentil Soup

An easy, light and filling soup!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword ham, lentil, soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Servings 6 servings

Calories 200kcal

Author RecipeGirl.com (shared from The Ultimate Slow Cooker Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 3 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 1½ cups chopped celery
• 1½ cups (about 3 medium) sliced carrots
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 6 ounces cooked ham, diced finely (about 1½ cups)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)

Instructions

• In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine the broth, water, celery, carrots, lentils, ham, onion and thyme. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on the high-heat setting for 3½ to 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, stir in the spinach. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese, if using.

Notes

• If you're preparing this recipe as Dairy Free, leave out the Parmesan cheese.
• If you're preparing this recipe as Gluten-Free, make sure the ham that you use does not have any added gluten, and be sure to use a brand of chicken broth that is designated as GF.
• Nutritional information does not include optional cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 873mg | Potassium: 792mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 11469IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 4mg | Blue WW Smartpoints: 1 | Green WW Smartpoints: 3 | Purple WW Smartpoints: 1

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