I’ve been so blessed to have a partner who also enjoys cooking. Lutz, my husband, has mastered the art of lentil soup. This is it for those who love soup and eat lentils. I believe all the rain on this RV trip leads to our soup cravings, but it doesn’t need to be raining to eat this delicious, warm, spicy soup. Yes, spicy! Lutz likes his red pepper flakes and garlic 🙂
Lutz prefers meat with a bone, so we get the morrow. You can make this vegan and vegetarian by omitting the meat. He always keeps the skin on the potatoes as well. He says we need to eat more dirt to stay healthy! I’ve read that before. I guess he has to.
Lutz cooks this on the stovetop in a soup pot for 3-4 hours when we’re home in Germany. For the first hour, cook over medium heat, then turn it down to low heat for the remaining time. When camping and wanting to tour, we plug in the crockpot, set it on high to get it cooking, then turn it down to low and take off for the day. We can practically follow the smell back to our campsite. When we open the door… “bam”! What an aroma.
LUTZ’S LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried lentils or a mix of beans & lentils
- 2 big red/white onion roughly chopped
- 2 medium washed potatoes and keep the skin on & diced 1-inch pieces
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1/2 BULB of garlic diced, yes, half!
- 2 tsp Himalayan salt or more to taste
- 1 tsp of smokey paprika
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes level...more if you like!
- 1 lb pork knuckles or 1 pound of pork belly or omit pork for a vegan soup
- 1 plus liter veggie broth or water more as needed
Directions
- Step 1 Chop and dice all the veggies.
- Step 2 Place all the ingredients into your crockpot. Fill with broth or water, leaving 2 inches below the top of the crockpot or soup pot.
- Step 3 Set your crockpot on high until it is really hot (20 minutes). Turn to low and go! You can leave this on low for up to 6 to 8 hours. Before you walk out, ensure the water level is still 2 inches from the top. You can also cook this on your stovetop for 3 hours. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to low.
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.