Lentils are quick cooking, healthy and delicious. And what better way to enjoy them in the fall and winter than stewed with apples and a tasty smoked meat. Loosely based on Sara DiGregorio's NYT cooking app recipe, we have made several variants of this easily riffable concept. And each time it is unbelievably delicious, with soft buttery stewed apples, crisp tangy fresh apples, and a subtle cider vinegar-Dijon kick.

What I love about lentils is that they come in different colors in a cute little shape - from green French puy lentils, mottled brown Tuscan lentils and black beluga caviar lentils that hold their shape to red, orange and yellow lentils that dissolve to help thicken soups and curries. I have found that lentils and white basmati rice cook in the same amount of liquid and time, whether on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. I often replace about 1/4 to 1/3 of the raw rice with puy or beluga lentils to add a colorful bits of protein.

In the fall, I also love getting fresh apples from the farmer's markets and trying the different varieties. The Jonagold is my all time favorite apple for eating raw, and it makes a pretty good apple for cooking as well. While I have never made an apple pie, this is something I also enjoy à la mode or with cheddar.

Apples 3-Ways Lentil Soup with Honey-baked Ham 

After donating to my local NPR station, I was offered the opportunity for a free one year membership to NYT cooking. While browsing lentil recipes, this one for a Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage and Apples caught my eye. But I did not have several of the ingredients on hand, most notably the onion, smoked sausage and the hard cider. 

What I did have in the freezer, was a Honey Baked Ham bone with a good amount of meat left on it. I make a point of retrieving the spent bone from any family gatherings, as it makes an excellent, easy soup when coupled with 1.5-2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Vegi soup mix -- no additional seasoning needed.

After sautéing the white parts of 6 scallions, half of the apples, and the celery in butter, we added 9-10 oz of honey baked ham to the pot. 

Then the lentils were added with a combination of white wine and water to equal 3.5 x the volume of the lentils, and the mixture was simmered for 40 min. 

The Dijon and plain yogurt were blended and stirred in for some creaminess. 

Then the soup was served topped with scallions and fresh Golden Delicious and Gala apple slices.  Absolutely delicious!  I especially liked the contrasting textures of the stewed and raw apples. 

The next time we made this dish, we used some frozen honey baked ham bones, with whatever amount of meat was left on the bones. This time, we had a mixture of Granny Smith and Gala apples.  Again the highlight is the apples served three ways, stewed, crisp and in vinegar. 

Another variation involved some Farmer's market Sun Crisp (sweet) and Honey Crisp (tart) apples. I ran out of green lentils, so added some red lentils, along with the onion, sage and thyme. Here is an Instagram reel or a FB reel showing the basic steps of cooking this delicious stew. 

Golden Delicious and Gala apple-lentil-ham bone soup

Apples 3-Ways Lentil-Split Pea Soup with Hot Italian Sausage

On this snowy weekend with more than a foot of snow predicted, we had to improvise. When I found that our kids would be joining us, I pivoted from a roast fish dinner for my husband and me to a big pan of my dad's chili mac casserole. 

When it became obvious after the first night that the casserole was enjoyed to the extent that there was not enough leftovers for lunch, I had to improvise. We had a quarter peck of apples, two cups of Bob's Vegi soup mix, four links of hot Italian sausage, no onion, no celery, no sage, no nutmeg and no yogurt or sour cream. 

Lentils, green and yellow split peas, barley and alphabet pasta bits

So I fried up the sausage, covering with some water to steam it to ensure it was fully cooked), then I removed them from the pan and added the soup mix and liquid ingredients.

Frankie's Hot Italian Sausage

I thawed 4 cups of chicken broth, and 2 cups of water, but found that I needed to add another cup of water halfway through as the Vegi soup mix has not only lentils, but also some barley and alphabet pasta. 

Despite not having many of the ingredients, the soup came out delicious as well. I think my daughter said she had three bowls. So I have marked those ingredients as optional.  The key features are the apples, the lentil mix, cider vinegar and the Dijon mustard. 

Next time, I plan to use this amazing local kielbasa sausage!  I think it would be fabulous in this highly adaptable and fulfilling fall-winter one pot dish.

Love2Chow Apples 3-Ways Lentil Soup 

9-12 oz honey baked ham, with or without the bone OR 12 oz kielbasa or Andouille sausage OR 3-4 Italian sausage links

1-2 Tbs neutral oil or unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped (optional)

2-3 tart apples, cored and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces, divided in half

3 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

4-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried sage or 1 fresh sage sprig (optional)

1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 fresh thyme sprig

1 1/2 - 2 cups French puy lentils OR Bob's Vegi soup mix

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

1-2 Tbs cider vinegar

1/4 cup sour cream or full fat plain yogurt (optional)

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. If using sausage, panfry in the stew pot with butter or oil until fully cooked and browned with crispy edges. Remove and set aside. Add the onions and cook until translucent about 3-5 min, then add half of the apples. Cook another 3-5 min until apples are softened, lowering heat if necessary to avoid burning.

2. Add celery, garlic, sage and thyme, and stir until fragrant. Add lentils and optional nutmeg, stir until coated with oil. Add 3.5-4 times the volume of the dried lentils in any combination of water and broth including up to 12 oz of dry cider or wine if desired. 

3. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 35-45 min. Add more liquid if necessary to maintain desired consistency of soup/stew. When ready to serve, pull the ham off the bone, chop if necessary, and return to pot OR add the reserved sausage, keeping aside a few crispy pieces for garnish if desired. Then stir in cider vinegar, 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt and some ground black pepper. Mix together mustard and sour cream (if using) and add to the pot. Taste and adjust vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Serve with scallions and raw apples chunks. 

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