Heart warming and delicious, I cook the ham hock earlier in the crock pot for 6 hours and then make the soup. The stock is lovely and gelatinous. This is a great soup to make and freeze in portions and the flavours just improve. You can also add other vegetables you may have on hand if your like.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil or other good fat
1 smoked ham hock ( about 1 - 1.5 kg)
1 tsp sea salt
1 onion chopped
1 leek sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
2 carrot halved and sliced
2 stalks celery
3 litres chicken stock
1 cup lentils ( optional)
chilli flakes ( optional)
300 gm pumpkin cut into 2 cm pieces
2 large handfuls kale or silverbeet leaves
Salt & pepper
1 - 2 tbsp kim chi or sauerkraut
As I mention above I like to cook the ham hock in chicken stock prior to making the soup. Using a crock pot or pot on the stock, cover the ham hock with 3 litres of chicken stock.
Cook for 4-6 hrs in a crock pot or on the stove.
Strain the stock and put the ham hock to the side, when cool enough remove the meat from the bone and discrd the skin and fat. Shred or chop the meat.
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and leek, stirring often for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, celery, carrot, pumpkin and lentils cook a further 3-5 minutes. Pour the 3 litres of stock over the vegetables bring to the boil and reduce the heat, simmer until the lentils are tender and cooked.
Return the meat to the saucepan, stir in the kale and continue to heat through. Stir the kim chi or sauerkraut as you are servings.
Season with salt and pepper.
Comments