Soup season is upon us!  Thank goodness because I LOVE soup!

Yesterday, made a hearty soup for dinner in our crockpot.  I started to make the broth on Monday evening, and then, added the veggies etc. on Tuesday morning.  It was a hit!

To make the broth you will need the following ingredients:

1 Ham hock

1 Large onion

1 Celery Stalk

1 Apple (halved)

1/2 Lemon

2 Sprigs of Rosemary

2 Sprigs of Thyme

1 Bay leaf

1/2 Cup chives/green onion – left in large pieces

2 1/2 Cups red wine

2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

Directions:

1.  Rinse ham hock – I realize this sounds strange, but it also helps in getting the salt off!
2. Put all ingredients in a crockpot on low for 10-12 hours.
3. When completed, discard whole pieces of herbs, and any bones.
4. Leave that crockpot going on low – you’ll be adding more ingredients!

To complete the soup you’ll need:

3 Cups Lentils

3 Celery stalks – chopped into 3/4in pieces

2 carrots – chopped

3 Cups pearl onions

2 cups frozen peas

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup frozen green beans

Directions:

1.  First add all veggies that are NOT frozen to crockpot and leave on low.  I did this around 6:30am and then left for work.
2. When I got home from work around 5:30pm, I turned the crockpot on high and then added all frozen ingredients.  If you need more liquid, I add vegetable stock.
3. Let simmer for an hour and a half.  If you are very, very hungry, transfer all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil then simmer for 35 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Enjoy!