German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (2024)

Posted on January 11, 2024 by admin

18 Comments

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German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (1)

The German lentil soup is a classic among all German soups. We tried out several options: Using lentils from a can and dried ones. We came to the conclusion: Dried lentils are the best. You can reduce the cooking time when soaking them the evening before in water, and let them sit over night. Just just need to boil them the other day in the same water.

In Germany these recipes such as Lentil Soup or Split Pea Soup are called “Eintopf” which means literally “One pot”. The fact that all ingredients are cooking in one pot at the same time, makes cooking easy. Just stir frequently and, if you use sausages, add the sausages five minutes before the soup is ready. It is also easy to make a vegetarian dish by not using the bacon and sausages. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients German Lentil Soup

(serves 4)
2 cups dry green or brown lentils
1-2 medium sized potatoes
1 medium sized onion
1-2 carrots
2 thin slices of German Speck (Bacon or smoked ham)
1/4 celery root
2 celery stalks
1-2 tsp sunflower or safflower oil
Purified or spring water as needed
2 tsp mustard, preferably German
Thyme and/or marjoram to taste
2bay leaves
Salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2-4 tbsp White Wine Vinegar (or to taste)
4 Wiener or Frankfurter Sausages

German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (2)

Cooking Instructions German Lentil Soup

– Wash dried lentils, then soak them in water the day before. They should be covered with water. Let sit covered over night.
– Peel potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
– Cut celery root, stalks and carrot in small pieces.
– Chop onion, cut ham in small cubes.
– In a medium to big sized pot heat oil, add onions and saute for 1 minute.
– Use lentils with the soaking water, add to onions. Fill up with water if you don’t have enough (lentils soak up the water, so you need to add some, lentils should always be covered with water).
– Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and bay leaves. Add some more water if needed.

German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (3)

– Bring to a boil, let simmer (covered with a lid) on low heat for about 1 hour until lentils are very soft. Do the test, if they are not soft, let them cook longer.
– While the soup is cooking, add mustard, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
– Stir frequently so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add some water if the soup gets too thick.

– 10 minutes before the soup is ready add the sausages to warm them in the soup. Of course you could boil them separately but the typical way is to cook them in the soup.
– If you want cut the sausages into pieces, and add them to the soup until they are cooked.
– Add parsley before serving.Serve the lentil soup with fresh farmers bread and butter. In Southern Germany the soup is combined with the Southern pasta specialty “Spaetzle”. In this case you would cook the Spaetzle separately and serve them with the soup.

– Recipe for Lentil Stew and Spaetzle –

TIPS

  • For a vegetarian version: Instead of using ham and sausages just cook lentils with the vegetable.
  • Add some tomato paste.
  • Instead of oil use lard.
  • Add vinegar before serving or use it as needed at the table. Helps to better digest the lentils.
  • If you don’t soak the lentils the day before the cooking time will be on low heat (simmering) up to 3 hours.

Good Source for German Style Sausages & Meats


German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (6)

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Category: German Recipes, German Soups, German Vegetarian Recipes, Lentil soup Tags: german lentil eintopf, German Lentil Soup, Lentil soup, linseneintopf

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18 Comments on “German Lentil Soup – Authentic Recipe

  1. Grüßte aus England!

    I notice in your recipe you state to use laurel leaves. Surely you mean BAY LEAVES? Some species of laurel are somewhat poisonous . . When I make it this weekend I will use bay leaves 🙂

    Stephan Kassner UK

  2. Oh, I see, this is a mistake. of course I mean bay leaves. Don’t use laurel leaves! But now you know for sure I am German. Let me know how the lentil soup was. Guten Appetit!

  3. Bitte sehr viel!
    I am happy to help.
    Your recipe is going in my book.
    I could not wiat till the weekend, tried it today (freitag)
    unglaublich!!!
    Stephan K.

  4. the bay leaves are in the recipe now! thanks for helping.

  5. Kein problem.

  6. I was born in Kassel Germany we put small meat balls in ours try it. Really good.

    Santra

  7. I know Kassel! Oh, I am sure it will taste good. I have to try this one. Have you subscribed to the blog? Many christmas recipes will come and I think they will be visible only for subscribers. I am making some changes like the new design and maybe an obline community site where members can talk about german food and exchange ideas.
    thanks for your message! Danke.
    gabriele

  8. I lived in Bitburg for five years. My most favorite was the chicken and the salads. Could you tell me where I can find recipes for German roasted chicken and german homemade salad dressings. The salads I had consisted of some bib lettuce, shredded cucumber and carrots and house dressing. It was amazing. Also what makes your peas and carrots so delightful?

  9. Linda, I guess it’s the butter and a hint of nutmeg which makes the peas and carrots so good. Dressing: you must be a bit more specific about that. it is oil and vinegar?

  10. Iam always make Lentilsoup , now from you i learned diffrent ways to make like bayleaves and meatballs and all the diffrent seasening u can put . tx ! Oh i live in the States but iam from small town called Pickliessem..

  11. bay leaves are always used for German soups. Meatballs, do you mean the german burger or Fikadelle? Try it, it is soo good!

  12. I’m trying this soup today! Unfortunately I’ve never seen any Celery root in my part of the U.S.
    Hope I can get by with only the stalks….

  13. I know, the celery root is not in every supermarket. Don’t know what they do with the roots? Use some stalks and it should be fine.

  14. Making it right now, but doesn’t say in the recipe when to add the bacon. Please fix, thanks : )

  15. add the bacon at the beginning with the onions.

  16. what is the water quantity??? “Fill up with water” is very vague

  17. the lentils have to be covered about 1 inch. when the cook they get thick, so you can add more water as needed.

  18. mom used ham bone in the beans as they cooked everything else sounds the same except on the end she always made a browned flour ruew that she would stir in before serving. I still make it that way to this day. Thank you for the memories.

German Lentil Soup - Authentic Recipe • Proven and Easy to Make (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular soup in Germany? ›

Common soups in German restaurants include oxtail, beef or chicken broth with noodles, dumplings, or rice, goulash, split pea, cream of asparagus, turtle soup (Echte Schildkrötensuppe) and cream of lobster.

Why does my lentil soup taste bland? ›

Not adding any aromatics to the pot.

Add aromatics to the water or, even better, use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. Follow this tip: Add a few cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, a spring of rosemary, half of an onion, or a combination of these aromatics to the cooking water or stock to help flavor the lentils.

Do I need to rinse lentils before making soup? ›

The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.

What is the difference between dal and lentil soup? ›

Well the terminology is used in 2 situations: Dried Lentil/Pulse/Bean is called daal. For e.g. – Mung Beans is called Hara Moong Daal, or Split Yellow Peas is called Toor Daal. And any dish or lentil soup prepared using this food group is also called daal.

What is the No 1 soup in the world? ›

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

What is the national soup of Germany? ›

German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

Why does my stomach hurt after eating lentil soup? ›

Another reason that lentils are known for causing gas and bloating is because they are high in what's called raffinose. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) are known to cause stomach discomfort and bloating because the human body lacks the enzyme required to break them down within the digestive tract.

What makes lentils taste better? ›

Think more like you're cooking pasta- you just need significantly more water than lentils. You can also use broth instead of adding an extra layer of flavor. I like adding a bay leaf, an onion cut in half, and a clove of garlic to add flavor to the lentils.

Can you overcook lentils in soup? ›

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

What color lentils are best for soup? ›

I recommend using green or French green lentils because they hold their shape in the soup, adding satisfying texture. Brown lentils are also a fine option.

Why did my lentil soup turn brown? ›

As the veggies hit the boiling water, volatile acids are released into the water and are carried away in the steam. When the pot is covered, the steam and the acids it contains are forced back into the water. Once there, the acids react with the chlorophyll in the vegetables, turning them an unsightly shade of brown.

What to pair with lentil soup? ›

Pair this lentil soup with crusty bread or a hearty salad like my kale salad or sweet potato salad. It would also go well with a vegetable side dish like roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, or a baked sweet potato.

Is it okay to eat lentil soup everyday? ›

Eating half a cup of cooked lentils gives you lots of essential nutrients and their high fiber content makes you feel full. However, the fiber in lentils can be hard for your body to break down. Eating too many lentils can cause gas, bloating, and cramping.

Is it healthy to eat lentil soup every day? ›

Lentils have plenty of folate, iron and vitamin B1, which also support your heart health. Lentils may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease, by lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure. One study found that eating lentils led to greater reductions in blood pressure than eating chickpeas, peas or beans.

Is lentil soup OK for kidneys? ›

Lentils are an excellent source of plant-based kidney friendly protein, rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Whether used in a soup, salad, or main dish, lentils are a hearty, healthy addition to any meal. Buy lentils in dried, canned, or frozen forms.

What are the top 3 foods in Germany? ›

These are considered to be national dishes. Of all these regional and national dishes, Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau, but as you can see, there is plenty more to German cuisine than just these.

Are there soup kitchens in Germany? ›

In Berlin, Lieferheld Germany fed over 300 people at the Berliner Stadtmission, a local soup kitchen that offers warm meals to homeless people, together with local partner vendor VADOLÌ.

Which of the top 5 German foods is considered to be the national dish of Germany? ›

Sauerbraten. Sauerbraten is a traditional German dish that literally translates to “sour roast”, and is often regarded as the national dish of the country. As the name suggests, this dish is made from heavily marinated meat, usually beef, lamb, pork, or venison.

What is chicken broth called in Germany? ›

Chicken broth is called Hühnerbrühe in Germany.

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