Leftover roasted turkey, ham lentil soup recipe.. on stove top or in crock pot/slow cooker!

Posted by Happy holidays! 'Tis the season for over indulgence, turkey, ham, and the inevitable leftovers, hangovers and food comas.  So here's a super lazy and easy soup to use up some of the leftovers that can simmer away while you put up your feet and relax.  I usually freeze some leftover turkey/ham so I can make this hearty and tasty soup later... and as a bonus, after all that over indulgence... this soup not only uses up your leftovers... its tasty and high in fibre so it'll help you get "rid" of holiday leftovers in more than one way hahahaha!

This soup can be made super hearty - add in less water and more beans or vegetables, or can be more "soupy" following the recipe as is, and can be blenderized (carefully!) at the end for a smooth soup.

Broth Ingredients
- 2litres of low sodium chicken broth Use leftover turkey or leftover ham (plus bone)
OR
- 1 leg of turkey (with bone) or 2 turkey drumstick and wings, or about 1/4 of the leftover roasted turkey carcass
OR -1 ham bone, plus about 1 cup diced ham

-1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
-1 bay leaf
-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
-2 carrots, diced
-1 onion, diced
-2 stalks of celery, diced
-water
-Optional: add one can of rinsed beans if you want a more heartier soup: chickpeas, white/navy/red kidney beans at the end with the shredded meat step.

How to (Stove top):
1) If making scratch broth: In a medium pot, fill it up 3/4 way full with water and bring to a boil. Add in leftover turkey bones or ham bone, bay leaf, garlic, carrots, onion and celery.  Bring to back up to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30min. Fish out the meat bones with tongs and set aside to cool.
If using store bought broth: In a medium pot, bring broth, bay leaf, garlic, carrots, onion and celery to a boil, then simmer for 10 min to soften up the veges.
2)   Add in lentils and simmer for 20-30 min until the lentils are soft.
3) While the lentils are cooking, shred the meat from the bones (if using).  Add shredded meat and diced ham (if using) to simmer along with the lentils.
4) Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

How to (crock pot/slow cooker):
1) If making scratch broth: Fill it up your crock pot/slow cooker 3/4 way full with boiling hot water and crank the heat to high. Add in leftover turkey bones or ham bone, bay leaf, garlic, carrots, onion, celery and lentils.  Bring to back up to a boil (about 10-15min), cover and let simmer for about 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low or until the lentils are soft.  Fish out the bones and discard.
If using store bought broth: Add all broth, bay leaf, garlic, carrots, onion, celery and lentils and bring to back up to a boil (about 10-15min), cover and let simmer for about 4-5 hours on high or 5-10 hours on low until the lentils are soft.
2) While the lentils are cooking, shred the meat from the bones (if using).  Add shredded meat and diced ham (if using) to simmer along with the lentils about half way through cooking time
4) Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!