Lentil Stew with Ham and Greens

I made this exactly as written, except I used 4 c of homemade ham stock and 1 c of chicken stock. I used green lentils and red Swiss chard.  It looked lovely and was just delicious.  My husband is a "hot sauce on everything" guy, but he didn't want to this time because the flavors were just too so good. It's a little more time consuming than it looks, but it's worth it, especially on a cold rainy night.  

I made a larger pot with varied amounts of all the ingredients. I was out of bay leaves, will definitely add them next time. Still a wonderful hearty stoup!

Wonderful!

I have not been a huge lentil fan, but this recipe is delicious! I added precooked lentils in refrigerator case at Trader Joes and reduced broth to about 1 1/2 cups. Followed the suggests for using tomotoes with green chilies and added hot sauce to pot at the end and topped with shaved Parmesan. Wonderful! Will make again.

It's certainly a hearty stew but I thought that it could use a bit more oomph - perhaps a dash of hot sauce as someone else suggested.

Relatively quick and easy stew with delicious and hearty results! Prep is a breeze and the recipe comes together easily. Perfect for a week night. Certainly if you're not already a fan of lentils this dish won't be the one to win you over, but for the rest of us, it is really quite good. I have used both regular lentils and French green for this. I Prefer using swiss chard as it hold ups well to the liquid and doesn't break down too much. I add extra broth too. Note: the longer any type of legume has been on the pantry or grocery shelf, it will require extra cooking time.

I've been meaning to try this recipe for years and am so glad I did! I used some leftover Christmas ham, subbed red lentils because they were on hand, used fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles for extra kick, and per another great reviewer tip, served with grated parmigiana on top. I also used some gorgeous organic SC collard greens, which I've never used before but I love the way they taste and wanted to try cooking with them. Easy to clean and prepare, and hold color and flavor well (baby spinach would've gotten too mushy), I put them in with the lentils and carrots since I knew they need longer cooking time. I made the stew last night and served today for lunch so flavors could blend - a hit with the DH and teenaged son. Will definitely put in the soup/stew rotation!

Very tasty and hearty. Some hot sauce at the end might be tasty!

This recipe is a bit time-consuming but delicious. I have made it twice now (both times with spinach) and loved it. I served it to house guests last weekend and they raved. Definitely a keeper.

This was delicious! A neighbor gave me some swiss chard and carrots from her garden, and this was the perfect use for them. I added about half a cup of extra broth, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.

This recipe is fabulous. I used a premade kale and carrot slaw as the "green", added in some sauted cremini mushrooms, and served it with crusty sourdough bread. I definitely will be adding this to my recipe rotation.

My family and I loved this stew. It was a great use for leftover ham. Since I had lots of spinach on hand I substituted it for the chard. I just added it later since it didn't need as much cooking as the chard would have. I will definitely make this again.

Very good and tasty. I used the Swiss chard which is a mild green that worked really well in the recipe. I hate the taste of canned tomatoes so I omitted those and used some tomato juice which was good but I think the recipe would work without the tomatoes.

very comforting. :)

This was a great meal. I made exactly as written with the exception of using tomato with green chilies in place of the regular and it was fabulous, spicy but good!!

This was a hearty, warm, healthy and delicious stew. I can't wait to make it again. I will omit the ham, though, as I didn't think it added much to the stew.

This was yummy! I used collards and added hot sauce and grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil

This is delicious and filling dish even without the dried thyme and the sprinkle of fresh parsley. One I forgot to purchase and the other is nearly impossible to find in my area. The next time I make it I will be certain to add the two missing ingredients. I love the flavor of fresh itilian parsley so I can imagine the briteness it will give this dish. My husband loved this dish as I prepared it so I can't wait for him to try it with all the ingredients. He is very particular or at least he thinks he is. If you love lentils you will love this stew.

This was very good. I have been looking for a new recipe for the greens I get in my CSA and this one worked great! Like another poster all I had on hand were red lentils and they really created a nice thick texture. For fun next time I may do half red and half French. It had a lot of flavor but I bet I could kick it up a notch with a parm rind. So I'll try that too. A nice piece of bread is a MUST for this recipe. I really wanted to eat the whole bowl with bread so making an actual bread bowl would be a fun touch for this recipe too. I used collard greens in this batch. You might want to cook them a bit longer than suggested.

We look forward to eating this dish again every winter. I especially like it with swiss chard or collard greens. (They're a little more substantial than the spinach and don't just "disappear.") In the above photo, the stew is paired with Ugly Bread, and they really are delicious together.

This recipe was very hearty and perfect for a rainy day. I chose collard greens, substituted the potato with a sweet potato, and used low sodium tomatoes. It turned out great! I will definitely make this again.

This is delicious! It takes a little while, but it is so easy and thick and yummy. Healthy, too! The prep leaves time to have a glass of wine and a chat. I left out the ham and used veggie broth because I'm a vegetarian, and it turned out fine. Next time, I'll make double and freeze half. I definitely recommend this recipe.

This was thick and hearty - perfect in the winter. The smokiness of the ham infused the whole broth, and was a great compliment to the earthy lentils. I used Swiss chard for the green, but would increase the amount next time, as it got a little lost in the rest of the stew! Served it with French bread rolls and sliced cucumbers in vinaigrette.

Sounds good by ingredients, but sodium is way too high . . . almost 1000 mg. You can modidfy by using "lower sodium or better yet "no salt" canned goods in this recipe and adding other "herbs" and "spices" that do not contribute to "HIGH" blood pressure. Looking forward to trying it without all the sodium!

This is a staple for my family now. I often use ground beef if I don't have ham - just as delicious.

My sister made this & it was so good. I have been making it ever since. It is quick & very yummy. I usually use swiss chard & buy a ham steak & cut it up. It is excellent.

I have been making my mother in laws bean soup for years and thought I would try this recipe because it is hard to get dry beans here in Hong Kong. This was delicious and the best part is it is SO quick!! I used leftover spiral ham from NY day, left out the potatoes and used 1 1/2 cups lentils and used spinach! My kids loved it!!!

This is a family favorite at our house. I've made it about a dozen times. Very tasty, very healthy. I cook as directed, except I add the potatoes and kale earlier, to make sure they get done more quickly, and I leave out the parsley. Sometimes I use beef broth, depends what I have on hand. Delish every time! Served tonight with CL steamed brown bread (CL Oct. 2008) - a wonderful fall meal.

Great! Easy, affordable, healthy and little to clean up! I used Kale and it was very tasty. I added more broth and otherwise followed the directions perfectly. I will add it to my rotation as a soup.

This recipe is awesome. I was looking for a recipe for Lentil Soup and came across this one. It has great flavor and was easy to make. I made it with spinach as the "green" and served it with salad and wheat sourdough bread. My husband raved about it. It will definitely be one of our regular dishes.

I love this dish! I don't eat meat so I make it with vegetable broth and without the ham. It is delicious. I've also made it with sweet potato instead of white potato and it is great either way.

A rich, hearty stew that we absolutely loved! I served it to company for Saturday lunch. My friend always raved about his French mother's lentil soup, so I was slightly intimidated, but he loved it and asked me to share the recipe... a rare occurance with him. I served it with CL's Ugly Bread, which was a great pairing. The only thing I added to the stew was some pesto from my freezer and a spoonful of Penzy's Ham Soup Base, which added some depth to the flavor. A winner that I will enjoy serving again!

Very delicious! YUM YUM Will make this again as it is easy and a hearty stew.

This is one of my family favorites. I used red lentils because I had them on hand, and will keep using them instead of the green -- the red lentils broke down and created a thick hearty broth that was excellent! This freezes well, too.