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a hearty bowl with spoon of leftover ham and lentil stew

Leftover Ham and Lentil Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Amber Bondar
This hearty ham and lentil stew combines leftover cooked ham, dried green lentils, sweet potatoes, and frozen mirepoix in a savoury broth seasoned with smoked paprika and cumin. An economical one-pot family dinner made in a Dutch oven.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • knife
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Cutting board
  • measuring cup
  • Tablespoon
  • Colander or fine-mesh strainer
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
  • 2 Cups Frozen Mirepoix
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 2 Cups Leftover Cooked Ham Cubed
  • 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • ¾ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1½ Cups Dried Green Lentils Rinsed
  • 2½ Cups Sweet Potatoes Peeled and Cubed
  • 3¾ Cups Chicken Broth 900 mL
  • ¾ Cup Canned Diced Tomatoes Drained Slightly

Instructions
 

  • Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into evenly sized, bite-sized cubes. Measure out 2½ cups.
  • Rinse the dried green lentils in a colander under cold running water and drain well.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the frozen mirepoix and minced garlic. Sauté together for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
    1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil, 2 Cups Frozen Mirepoix, 3 Cloves Garlic
  • Add the diced leftover cooked ham, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and black pepper. Stir for approximately one minute to distribute the seasonings.
    2 Cups Leftover Cooked Ham, 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika, ¾ Teaspoon Ground Cumin, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • Add the rinsed green lentils and cubed sweet potatoes.
    1½ Cups Dried Green Lentils, 2½ Cups Sweet Potatoes
  • Pour in the entire 3 ¾ cups of chicken broth and stir, pushing all the lentils and sweet potato pieces beneath the surface of the broth.
    3¾ Cups Chicken Broth
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for approximately 15–20 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and check the lentils and sweet potatoes for tenderness. Continue simmering uncovered for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow some of the excess liquid to evaporate.
  • When the lentils are approaching tenderness, stir in ⅔ cup of drained diced tomatoes.
  • Continue simmering for approximately 10–25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender throughout and the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • Check the consistency of the stew. If it becomes too thick before the lentils finish cooking, add a little hot water or additional broth as needed.
  • Taste the stew before adding any additional salt, since the leftover ham and chicken broth already contribute seasoning. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and serve hot.
Keyword diced ham recipes dinner, green lentils, ham and lentil stew, ham recipes for dinner, leftover ham recipes, lentil stew, one pot stew recipes, sweet potato lentil stew
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