Earl Cooks Lentil and Leftover Ham Soup

The late fall weather just hit us today after letting us think we lived in a more mild clime. It was in the mid to high 60℉ range for the last few days but last night got down to the high 20s. The resorts are happy but we are a bit cold...which brings me to the quick soup I threw together when my wife got home and turned on the space heater. Soup is a great quick meal especially when you cheat by using a canned product. I don't buy a lot of different kinds of soup, but I do keep them on hand for occasions such as this. I also have some leftover ham from Thanksgiving which will make the soup even better. I start by removing any fat from the ham and cut it into bite-size pieces.

 Then I sauté the ham in the pot I am going to use for the sou to both warm and to give the roasted ham aroma to the house. I then take 1 can of Progresso lentil soup and add it to the heated through ham. I use Progresso because it is not condensed. Depending on my mood, I may add chopped onion, carrot, or celery to the pot when using a prepared product like this. When I do, I add those to the pot with the ham (or bacon or smoked sausage) to sauté until tender, adding the soup later. Finally, I add about a tablespoon of REAL butter for richness. This was a trick for soups and stews passed down from my dear mother to us. (Sour cream also works well). I then choose a great cracker...Keebler's Club Crackers are my favorite for soup and then I welcome the late autumn! This was good enough that my wife wanted the leftovers for lunch the next day!

One more note: Progresso is quite expensive compared with other brands, so watch for it on sale. I think you will find that for recipes like this, it beats condensed soups.-Earl