Ukrainian Lentil Soup

This recipe was just shared with me by a good friend. It looks wonderful. Here it is:


Ukrainian Lentil Soup

Pour 8 cups of water into a pot--add more or less water according to how much soup is desired. Season water according to taste preference with salt, pepper, garlic powder or garlic cloves, two whole cloves (optional), and a small bay leaf (optional). If not adding meat, may add bouillon flavoring.

Add the lentils and meat (if desired) to the pot of water and cook for one hour. Meat options include a ham bone, beef cubes/tips, or one pound of diced hot dogs. If using hot dogs, add them to the pot of soup later (when adding the sautéed vegetables).

Dice ¾ to 1 cup each of carrots, celery, and onions. Also dice 1 ½ to 2 cups of potatoes (white potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams).

Pour some olive oil in a skillet and heat the oil. Then sauté the vegetables just until they are soft.

Add sautéed vegetables to the pot of lentils/meat. This is when the diced hot dogs can be added.

Instead of the stove-top cooking pot, you may put it all into a crock pot (slow cooker) on high 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Simmer on low heat for a few hours until vegetables are fully cooked.

This recipe is easy and flexible. It was shared with me by the late Ruth Dippold.

~Lois Pierce