Jana's Lentil and Ham Soup Made in a Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds smoked ham shanks
• 10 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 cups lentils
• 1 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, or more to taste

Step 1

Place the ham shanks and water in your pressure cooker. Lock the lid in place and bring it up to 15 pounds of pressure over medium heat. Once it reaches pressure, lower the heat and let it cook for about 20 minutes. When the time’s up, carefully release the pressure following your cooker’s instructions. Take out the ham shanks with a slotted spoon and set them aside to cool. While they cool, strain the broth into a bowl and save it for later.

Step 2

Heat some olive oil in the empty pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, cooking and stirring gently until everything softens and the veggies start to shrink down, which should take around 20 minutes.

Step 3

Once the veggies are ready, stir in the lentils, 8 cups of the reserved ham broth, thyme, and a bay leaf. Lock the lid back on and bring it up to 15 pounds of pressure again, cooking for 6 minutes this time. As soon as the time is up, release the pressure right away.

Step 4

While the soup is still warm, shred the cooled ham meat off the bones and stir it back into the pot along with the tomatoes, a pinch of black pepper, and a splash of vinegar. Let everything simmer gently just until heated through, then it’s ready to enjoy.