Mixed Lentil Soup

Mixed Lentil Soup by Tony van Roon

  Servings: 8 or more


        1  large package Stewing Beef
        1  liter can 'Chunky Soup'
        1  small can green beans (see notes)
        1  small can kidney beans (see notes)
        1  medium size carrot (finely chopped)
        1  medium size carrot (sliced)
        1  onion (chopped)
        1  leek (sliced thinly)
      250  gram 'mixed beans' (package)
        2  liter water (or beef/vegetable stock)
        2  potatoes (cubed)
        1  cube soup stock (bouillon)
      1/4  tsp basil
        1  small bay-leaf 
        1  tsp tobasco sauce (optional)
*     1/2  tbsp Salt
*     1/4  tsp black pepper

Method:
Wash the beans. Pre-soak the beans in hot water for about an hour (optional, cuts down a bit on the cooking time).

Start by cutting up the stewing beef in large cubes. If it comes with a bone, don't throw it out. Add it to your soup for the first 2 hours or so. Quickly brown all sides of the beef cubes in hot oil. This will keep all the juices inside while it is cooking in the soup. Put in the crockpot/pan first with all the juices and leftover oil.

Add the water or stock. Add all the veggies, chunky soup. Add the mixed beans. Add all other ingredients, except cans of green/kidney beans.

Cooking Time:
Crockpot: cook for 2 hours on 'high' (take out the bone, if so), 6 hours on 'low'.
Normal pan: cook for 15 min on 'high' or until it starts to boil. Then let simmer for a couple hours until all beans have become the 'soup'. Then add the small cans of kidney and cut green beans.

Notes:
I use my crockpot for this recipe but it can also easily be done in a normal pan. If you find that half a tablespoon salt is to much for you feel free to do whatever to give it the taste you want. The green/kidney beans are added when the soup is almost done. They are already ready-to-serve so adding it to early will cook them to a pulp. If you wonder why the bay leaf/tobasco is in there; well, to use Emeril Lagassi's expressing: "kicking it up a notch". Just make sure it is a small leaf, you don't want it to dominate the overall taste of the soup. Taste the soup after 3 hours or so to decide if you want to remove the bayleaf.
Tobasco, hot peppers, or whatever you like, gives it another punch. Tobasco can be added individually by the table.