German Lentil Soup

A hearty brown lentil soup with root vegetables, bacon and a splash of vinegar.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Very Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100g smoked bacon lardons
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 leek, sliced and washed
  • 250g brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
  • 1.5 litres beef or vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram
  • 2 Frankfurter sausages, sliced (optional)
  • 1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon for 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery and leek and cook for 8 minutes.

  2. Add the lentils, potato, stock, bay leaves and marjoram. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the lentils are tender.

  3. Add the sausage slices, if using, for the last 5 minutes.

  4. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the vinegar and season to taste. Serve with rye bread.