Traditional German Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe)

Here’s an addition to your soup-as-main-meal collection!  A delicious serving of this traditional German Lentil Soup (or Linsensuppe) contains a mix of lentils, vegetables, bacon, and slices of German sausage — one bowl will not be enough!

If you love German soups, you must try my authentic German potato soup (kartoffelsuppe) and sauerkraut soup — you’ll be hard-pressed to choose a favorite between the two. 🙂

But if you prefer some meat in your soup, then this German lentil soup with sausage is what you need.

Locally known as ‘linsensuppe,’ it’s the first soup I made when we were living in Frankfurt — mainly because I wanted to add some local sausage (i.e., frankfurters) in a bowl of soup, and a friend suggested this lentil soup.

Now that we’ve moved back to Stockholm, I still make it regularly, even in warmer months.

Who says you can’t enjoy a warm, hearty linsensuppe in July?  Absolutely yummy!

IF YOU WANT MORE CLASSIC GERMAN RECIPES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Bacon – chop them in tiny bits, about a third-of-an-inch.

• Onion – you must chop it finely to make this German lentil soup recipe.

• Lentils – dried green lentils that have been washed and drained.

• Carrot and potatoes – rinsed, peeled, and diced.

• Sausage – Frankfurters sliced into thin rounds are excellent for linsensuppe.

• Stock – beef or chicken will be great.

• Vinegar – white wine vinegar.

• Flour, salt, and pepper – just use your favorite brand.

Preparation

Start making linsensuppe by placing a pan over medium-high heat.

Add the chopped bacon.

Cook until they turn brown and crunchy on the edges.

Adjust heat to medium and add the onion — cook until it turns soft.

Sprinkle the flour.

Mix and let the flour cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the drained lentils.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Pour the stock, a bit of vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Cover with a lid, adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring your linsensuppe to an ‘almost‘ boil.

Lower the heat, then keep simmering until the lentils soften.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and Frankfurters.

Place the lid back and keep simmering until the vegetables are tender — taste and adjust the seasoning during this stage as well.

Take the pan off the heat and transfer your German lentil soup into bowls for serving!

Helpful tips

• Do not hesitate to lower the heat if the bacon bits get dark too soon.

• Add olive oil if the bacon fat is not enough to saute the onions.

• Start with six cups of stock and just another cup before simmering the vegetables — if you want more liquid.

• Like the stock, do not immediately add all the white wine vinegar. 

Start with a teaspoon, taste, and adjust once all the ingredients have been added.

Recipe variation

• Red wine vinegar.  An excellent alternative if you don’t have white wine vinegar.

• Stock.  I typically use meat stock (beef, chicken, or sometimes a combination of both), but you can also substitute vegetable stock.

• Cooked green lentils. You can also use green lentils that are already cooked instead of dry ones. Make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly.

• Celery root.  I remember seeing them added during autumn when they’re in season.  Just chop them the same size as the carrot and potatoes, and add them simultaneously.

So how about it?  Give this linsensuppe recipe a try one of these evenings!

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