Leek, Lentil, and Mustard Ham Soup

A simple soup made with a limited number of ingredients - One large leek, half a cup of red lentils, 150g of fine beans, chopped, fresh basil leaves,  and 100g of mustard ham trimmings. Supplemented with ham stock, and white pepper.

The leek was topped and tailed, chopped in half, and then finely chopped transversely. Added to a pot of boiling water, along with the half cup of red lentils. The chopped (Kenyan) fine beans were added shortly afterwards (they cook quicker than the leek).

The ham trimmings were diced into smaller chunks, and added to the soup base after the pot had been simmering for at least thirty minutes (forty-five minutes is better), and the contents had been mashed.

Cooked for a further forty-five minutes at a low heat under glass. No herbs or spices, apart from the finely chopped basil leaves,  though you could add some paprika, oregano, or coriander, according to taste.