Lentil soup with cabbage

Steps

• 1
  Soak the lentils for at least 2 hours, but it's best to let them sit overnight. Then drain the water and wash the lentils with cold water. Place them in a pot, add the broth, bring to a boil, and when it starts boiling, reduce the heat by a third and cook the lentils until tender.
• 2
  Dice the potatoes into pieces of approx. 1 cm. Peel the garlic and crush it with a garlic press. Cut the cabbage into pieces small enough to fit comfortably on a spoon. Add them to the lentils along with the potatoes and garlic and cook over low heat.
• 3
  Cut the ham into approx. half cm cubes. In a pan, melt the butter over high heat, add the ham and fry it. Once the potatoes in the soup are tender, add the fried ham and sour cream. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir.
• 4
  Use chicken broth (stock) and classic brown lentils. Boil the lentils in the broth to get a richer flavor. Prague ham or boneless ham is best suited for this soup. You can also boil the ham skin in the soup where you cook the lentils, this will also intensify its flavor. Once the lentils are cooked, remove the skin.