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365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking

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April 12, 2016

Slow Cooker Ham, Lentil and Barley Soup

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Last week I was able to go a trip back east and it was sooooo cold! (Follow me on instagram @365dayscrockpot to see all my adventures) It was definitely still soup weather there even though it’s April. So if it’s still cold where you are this recipe is for you! This soup is chock full of ham and lentils and hearty barley. It will warm you right up and it’s pretty healthy too! No heavy cream or cheeses in this soup (although that might actually be really tasty).

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easy recipe for slow cooker ham, lentil and barley soup

You’ll start with some basic pantry staples and end up with soup…isn’t that the way soup should be? Throw stuff that you have in your fridge/pantry in a crockpot and turn it on and forget it.

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Crockpot Recipe for Ham and Barley Soup

Lentils, barley, cubes of ham, red onion, grated carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices

If you’re up for more soup ideas you can always check out my all my crockpot soups in my index. I have plenty to choose from…some of my most popular recipes are soups. Like the Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan or the Crockpot Lasagna Soup or the Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken Soup. My 7 year old son loves soups and is always so happy when I make them for dinner…I don’t think that’s very typical for a little kid but hey I’ll take it! He wants to start a restaurant called Yum Soups!, I kind of like the idea. What do you think? I would definitely sell this ham and lentil soup at his restaurant and the one that I’m totally in love with lately is the blender roasted red pepper soup. I just got 6 more red peppers at Costco yesterday so I could make it 3 times this week. To me, it’s a perfect lunch (along with this avocado grilled cheese). Anyhow, what soup would you like to see sold at Yum Soups!? I’ll ask Skyler if he approves of your choices and let you know.

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tomato ham and lentil soup in the crockpot


Before I give you the recipe I am just really excited about a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT that I’m going to be letting out of the bag in the next few days. I have to get a few things in place before I tell you but I am just super duper excited about it! So stay tuned…


slow cooker recipe for ham and lentil soup with barley

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Slow Cooker Ham, Lentil and Barley Soup


★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

  • Author: 365 Days of Slow Cooking
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
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Description

A hearty but healthy lentil and barley soup with cubes of ham and tomatoes.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups cubed ham
  • 1 cup lentils (I used green lentils)
  • 1 cup pearl barley (I find this in the bulk section of my grocery store)
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, grated or sliced or chopped (I grated mine)
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 10 cups water
  • 6 tsp chicken bouillon (OR the amount needed to make 6 cups, some bouillons are more concentrated than others so read the packaging)
  • Splash of lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Combine ham, lentils, barley, onion, carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaf, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, water and bouillon in the slow cooker.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until lentils are tender.
  3. Add in fresh ground pepper to taste as well as a splash of lemon juice.
  4. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy.

Notes

I use my 6 quart slowcooker for this recipe.

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Super easy crockpot recipe for ham and lentil soup...throw everything in the crockpot and walk away

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33 Comments Filed Under: 6 or More Hours, All Recipes, Pork, Ham, Soups, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 4 stars, barley, lentils

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    February 14, 2022 at 10:44 am

    I didn’t have tomato sauce so I used a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes and cut back on the water. Used a combination of pearl barley and pot barley because I ran out of pearl barley. I used dried minced garlic because I didn’t have powder. Added some celery because I had some to use up and it adds more texture to the soup plus left the carrots in fairly large pieces. Will add some spinach at the end for added nutrition and colour. Love using lentils as they help make a meal more economical, plus they are filling, hearty, and healthy. Also, had ham that needed to be used up.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 14, 2022 at 3:31 pm

      Sounds like a great version!

      Reply
  2. Betsy says

    February 28, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    I just found your soup recipe. It sounds amazing. What could I substitute for the lentils?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 1, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      you can just increase the barley if you’d like

      Reply
  3. Alice says

    January 28, 2021 at 8:43 pm

    This looks delicious…but was wondering if using the instant pot will hurry the cooking time. What timing would work?

    Thx
    Alice

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 29, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      yes this would be perfect in the Instant Pot. I would put in there for 10 minutes on the soup button. The pot will take a long time to come to pressure. So the barley should definitely be cooked in 10 minutes.

      Reply
  4. Ellen says

    February 7, 2019 at 7:38 am

    I made this soup as directed and it was delicious! Will definitely make it again.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 7, 2019 at 12:52 pm

      Awesome! I’m so glad.

      Reply
  5. Dorothy Law says

    February 17, 2018 at 11:56 am

    This seems like simple question……….do you have a published cookbook on the market….preferably on soups? My printer has not been working for some time…..I have two daughters attempting to fix it but I don’t when that will happen. Thanks, Dottie Law. [email protected]

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 17, 2018 at 12:08 pm

      Hi Dorothy, how are you? I do have a few cookbooks. Here is the information: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/order-your-cookbook-now/

      Reply
  6. N says

    January 11, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Hi, this sounds so delicious! I was wondering if you think I could sub farro (instead of the barley) bc my kids prefer it?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 11, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      yep, I think that would be great!

      Reply
  7. Connie says

    November 26, 2017 at 10:44 am

    I just bought an electric pressure cooker,could I make it in that,and Substituting the ham for left over turkey.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 28, 2017 at 11:00 am

      Yes, that sounds delicious!

      Reply
  8. Lori Grater says

    February 2, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    I’m new to slow cooker cooking, but this soup sounds amazing. I love making soups and I love lentils & barley so this should be great…..My question is that my slow cooker is only a 4QT….will all the ingredients fit? Also, can I substitute chicken broth or stock as I don’t like bouillon because it’s so salty?

    Thanks,
    Lori

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 3, 2017 at 8:20 pm

      Hi Lori,
      It will probably fit! And yes you can use stock 🙂

      Reply
  9. Stephanie Villanueva says

    May 25, 2016 at 7:00 am

    Hello! so i made this on Sunday and i absolutely loved it! it was my first time making lentil soup and first time using my slow cooker. Thee only difference i did was that I used Black Forest Smoked Turkey instead of the ham to make it healthier, and i dint add barley, so i added 3 cups of lentil ( not the green ones). I also blended part of the soup as another reviewer suggested; i like thick soup 🙂 do not omit the splash of lime at the end! 🙂 it was delicious !

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 31, 2016 at 9:46 pm

      sounds amazing!

      Reply
  10. Stephanie Villanueva says

    May 19, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    Hello Karen, this soup looks delicious, could i use 10 cups of chicken broth instead of the chicken bouillion ? and would i have to add salt too?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      May 19, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      I would just start with the chicken broth and then if it needs more salt then you can always add that at the end!

      Reply
  11. bobi says

    April 14, 2016 at 12:46 am

    Made this today! Very tasty! I like the seasonings very much. The only change I made was to use stewed tomatoes in place of the petite diced (it’s what I had).

    I blended about half of soup with a stick blender.

    I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you Karen!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 14, 2016 at 4:32 am

      oh blending it sounds fantastic! Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply
  12. [email protected] says

    April 13, 2016 at 11:08 pm

    I love this soup – it has so many ingredients and each one is visible in the final product. The midAtlantic is still chilly, so I could definitely go for a batch of this right now.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 14, 2016 at 4:33 am

      midAtlantic=soup for dinner tomorrow!

      Reply
  13. Liz says

    April 13, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    Love soups. Thanks for the nice recipe.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 13, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      you’re welcome, Liz!

      Reply
  14. geri says

    April 13, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    I think you should emphasize “hearty AND healthy” as opposed to “hearty BUT healthy”. It sounds like you’re issuing a disclaimer!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 13, 2016 at 4:31 pm

      good point 🙂

      Reply
  15. bobi says

    April 13, 2016 at 4:29 am

    I don’t see ham listed in the ingredients or the instructions.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 13, 2016 at 4:54 am

      oh man, I must be crazy…I fixed it…it’s in there now!

      Reply
      • bobi says

        April 13, 2016 at 5:10 am

        Good job! That was FAST!!

        Reply
  16. Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:31 am

    I make soup year round. My family loves lentils and I think we still have some leftover Easter ham in the freezer. I need to try this. It looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 13, 2016 at 4:56 am

      perfect! hope you like it 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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