Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Soup is a hearty, brothy soup of dried lentils, cubed cooked ham, onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes simmered all day in chicken broth with bay leaves. The lentils go in raw with no soaking, and leftover baked ham works perfectly. A big pot serves 8.
How to make it: Rinse and pick through a pound of dried lentils. Layer the vegetables and tomatoes in a 7-quart slow cooker, add the lentils, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and broth, and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the lentils are tender and the soup reaches 165°F. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- No soaking: dried lentils go straight into the pot.
- Uses up leftover ham: or a ham bone with meat still on it.
- Ten minutes of chopping: the slow cooker does the rest.
- Feeds a crowd: 8 generous bowls from one pot.
Ingredient Notes
Lentils: 1 pound of dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through.
Ham: 2 cups of cubed cooked ham. Leftover baked ham works well.
Vegetables: 1 cup of diced onion, 1 cup of sliced carrots, 1/2 cup of diced green or red bell pepper and 3 cloves of garlic, minced. A poblano pepper in place of the bell pepper adds a little spice.
Tomatoes: 3 cups of diced tomatoes, fresh or two 14.5-ounce cans.
Broth and seasoning: 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. The ham adds salt too, so taste before adding more.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils (brown or green), rinsed and picked through
- 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 3 cups diced tomatoes (fresh, or two 14.5-ounce cans)
- 1/2 cup green or red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
How to Make Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Soup
1. Rinse the lentils. Rinse the dried lentils under cold water in a colander, pick through them to remove any debris and drain well. No soaking is needed.
2. Prep the vegetables and ham. Dice the onion and bell pepper, slice the carrots, mince the garlic and cube the ham.
3. Fill the slow cooker. Put the onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes in a 7-quart or larger slow cooker first, then add the lentils, ham, bay leaves, black pepper, salt and chicken broth.
4. Stir. Stir with a large spoon until everything is combined.
5. Cook on low. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the lentils are tender. Keep the lid in place, lifting it only to stir or check.
6. Check and remove the bay leaves. Check that the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. Discard the bay leaves.
7. Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.
Can You Put Raw Lentils in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Unlike dried beans, lentils need no soaking. They go into the pot dry, straight from the bag, and cook through in the broth over the long, slow cook. Just do two things first:
- Rinse them in a colander under cold water.
- Pick through them and throw out any small stones or debris, then drain well.
Brown or green lentils are the ones to use here.
Using a Ham Bone Instead
Have a leftover ham bone with meat still on it? Use it in place of the cubed ham. Put the bone in with everything else and cook the same way. When the soup is done, lift out the bone, pull off any meat, shred it and stir it back into the pot, then throw away the bone along with the bay leaves. Thaw a frozen ham bone before it goes into the slow cooker.
Extras to Stir In
There is no single secret ingredient, but a few small additions change the soup:
- A splash of vinegar and some greens at the end: 1 1/2 teaspoons of cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 cups of chopped spinach stirred in just before serving.
- Baby spinach and Parmesan: stir in 3 cups of baby spinach when it’s ready and top each bowl with grated Parmesan.
- Smoky warmth: add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin with the other seasonings.
- Herbs: 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, or 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary.
- More celery flavor: add a few diced celery stalks with the carrots.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Skipping the rinse | Rinse and pick through the lentils; small stones and debris are common |
| Lifting the lid often | Keep it on except to stir or check; each peek lets heat out |
| Soup too thick | Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of extra broth |
| Salting blind | Taste at the end; ham and broth both add salt |
| Reheating in the slow cooker | Reheat on the stove or in the microwave instead |
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide the soup into smaller shallow containers so it cools quickly, cover, and eat within 3 to 4 days, per USDA FSIS.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan.
Reheat: Cover and bring it to a rolling boil (165°F) on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened. Don’t reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with crusty bread, cornbread, crackers or warm butter biscuits, or ladle it over rice. For the bean version of this slow cooker dinner, see crock pot ham and beans. More soups with ham or beans: slow cooker 15 bean soup, ham and potato corn chowder and slow cooker pasta fagioli. Another way to use leftover ham: crockpot ham and potato casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put raw lentils in a slow cooker?
Yes. Rinse and pick through dried lentils and add them raw; they cook through in the broth over 8 to 10 hours on low. No soaking is needed.
How do I make ham and lentil soup in a slow cooker with a ham bone?
Use the bone in place of the cubed ham. When the soup is done, take the bone out, shred the meat back into the pot and discard the bone and bay leaves.
What is the secret ingredient in lentil soup?
There isn’t one single answer. A splash of cider vinegar and some spinach at the end, smoked paprika, or grated Parmesan on top are all popular finishing touches.
What are the common mistakes in making lentil soup?
Skipping the rinse, lifting the lid too often, salting before tasting, and reheating leftovers in the slow cooker.
Final Notes
Rinse the lentils, load the pot in the morning, and dinner is ready when you get home. Taste for salt at the end. If you make it, tell me in the comments which extras you stirred in.
Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils brown or green, rinsed and picked through
- 2 cups cooked ham cubed; leftover baked ham works
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 3 cups diced tomatoes fresh, or two 14.5-ounce cans
- 1/2 cup green or red bell pepper diced; a poblano pepper adds a little spice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bay leaves medium
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse the dried lentils under cold water in a colander, pick through them to remove any debris and drain well. No soaking is needed.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper, slice the carrots, mince the garlic and cube the ham.
- Put the onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes in a 7-quart or larger slow cooker first, then add the lentils, ham, bay leaves, black pepper, salt and chicken broth.
- Stir with a large spoon until everything is combined.
- Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the lentils are tender. Keep the lid in place, lifting it only to stir or check.
- Check that the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. Discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.
