How to Make Scottish Lentil Ham Soup

1. Put the ham hocks in a large pan and cover with water until 1 inch over the tops. Cover and cook on high heat until boiling, and simmer for an 1½ hours. This will be the stock for the soup.

2. Peel and cut up into small chunks the onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and turnip. Also peel and cut up the garlic into small pieces.

3. Add the butter to a skillet and melt it. Add all the cut-up vegetables and garlic to the skillet and fry until softened. Place the softened vegetables into another large pan.

4. Take out the ham hocks from the pan and put on a plate to cool. Put a strainer over the pan with the vegetables in it and strain 6 cups of the water the ham hocks were cooked in. Add the bay leaves and the lentils to the stock and vegetables.

5. Pull the meat from the ham hocks and put into the pan. You may need to cut up some of the meat if it's larger than you want. You can also add some bacon to the soup instead of ham hocks.

6. Bring the contents of the large pan to a boil, then let simmer for another 1½ hours. Stir occasionally so the Scottish lentil ham soup doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. If it's not thick enough, take a cup of the broth and add a cup of flour and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Pour the thickening mixture back into the pan and stir until incorporated. Add black pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes more on medium-high heat to thicken; serve.