2 tho minced garlic
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, peeled + chopped, about 3
1 cup celery, chopped, with leaves
2 Tbs Tuscan Blend herb mix (my favourite is from World Market but they didnt have any in March 2023
1 Tbs Adobe
1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Chili + Lime seasoning (Trader Joe's) or red pepper flakes to taste. Don't go crazy. People can add more hot sauce at the table
1 1\2 cup tomato sauce
7 cups chicken broth, divided
1 1\2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
1 potato , peeled and diced small
1 1\3 or more cups ham, diced small
The original recipe, from @how-to-feed-a-loon used Italian sausage formed into small meatballs, fried and added at the end. We just happened to have leftover ham steak and it was excellent. The original recipe also used oregano and thyme instead of the Tuscan Blend, and salt instead of Adobo. It also had pancetta, 2 ounces, cubed and fried right at the start, with the chopped veggies added on top. I skipped it because it is expensive and I don't keep it on hand. They only called for 1 cup of tomato sauce and 6 cups of chicken broth, with a note to add more if it was too thick. Mine was too thick. it would be vegan if you used vegetable broth and vegan sausage.
In a heavy a bottomed pot, fry onion, carrot and celery until soft and translucent, 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
Add spices and cook 1 minute more. Add ham.
Add tomato sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and add lentils. Partially cover pot and simmer 40 minutes. Add more broth if too thick. Add diced potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. If using fried sausage mini meatballs, add now.
