1 ham bone

2 stalks celery

2 carrots

1½ cups green or brown dried lentils

8 cups Basic Beef Broth (see recipe on page 2)

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 medium onions

6 frankfurters

2 tablespoon butter

• Crack the ham bone. Chop the celery and carrots.

• In a soup pot, combine the lentils, beef broth, ham bone, celery, carrots, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1½ hours. Skim off the impurities every few minutes until no more rises to the top.

• Remove from heat, discarding the ham bone. Force the mixture through a coarse sieve and discard the solids. Return the strained soup to the pot. Slice the onions thinly. Cut the frankfurters diagonally into ½-inch slices.

• In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes on medium, then add the frankfurter slices and cook for another 3 minutes.

• Add the onion and frankfurter mixture to the soup pot. Return it to heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serves 6

If you buy your ham bone at a butcher shop, you can usually get them to crack it for you.