Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
A black bowl filled with a hearty lentil and Ham Hough soup on a wooden table. The soup has a creamy texture with visible pieces of meat and is garnished with chopped parsley and a parsley leaf in the center.

Traditional Scottish Lentil and Ham Hough Soup

Lauren
Arguably my most popular and viral soup recipe on socials, this Scottish Lentil and Ham Hough Soup is everything that makes Scottish soups amazing. It reminds me of my Gran; I grew up eating it and it's still one of my favourites to this day.
If you haven’t tried this recipe - get on it! And if you have, then please let others know in the comments if you like it (or love it...)
4.85 from 19 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Appetiser, Soup, Starter
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 469 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g red lentils
  • 750 g ham hough 750g-1kg in weight, pork knuckle
  • 3 ham stock cubes reduce if desired and you can add more later - the saltiness of ham hocks vary which can influence how many stock cubes you may need
  • 3 litres boiling water
  • ½ swede
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 onions
  • 2 bay leaves
  • parsley large handful

Instructions
 

  • Rinse out 300 g red lentils with water (until the water is clear after rinsing, you can leave them soaking for 30 mins then rinse, but not necessary)
  • Finely chop 2 onions and grate ½ swede and 2 carrots - add to large soup pot with the 750 g ham hough
  • To the soup pot, add the rinsed lentils, 2 bay leaves and 3 ham stock cubes dissolved in 3 litres boiling water - simmer on medium heat for 3 hours
  • After 3 hours total cook time, remove the bay leaves and the ham hock from the pot to allow to cool before shredding it. The hough is cooked properly once the meat is tender enough to remove from the bone with no resistance - don't be shy in continuing to simmer until this is achieved.
  • Once cooled, remove the fat from the ham hock, strip the meat from bone then break up into shreds with hands/fingers or using forks.
  • Use a potato masher to mash up your soup to achieve desired consistency (another option would be to blend the soup if you prefer smooth)
  • And finally, add the shredded ham hock back into soup pot with finely chopped parsley and serve with buttered bread - enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 37gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 630mgPotassium: 872mgFiber: 13gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2575IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 5mg
Keyword ham hough, lentil and ham hock soup, lentil and ham hough soup, lentil and ham soup, lentil soup recipe, traditional lentil soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!