Authentic German Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe)

German Lentil Soup with potatoes in a blue bowl. A spoon is in the bowl

5 from 14 votes

Authentic German Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe)

Try this authentic German Lentil Soup with a sweet and sour flavour. A minimal recipe with potatoes, leeks, carrots. The soup is flavoured with vinegar.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine German

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 490kcal

Author Marita

Equipment

large pot

Ingredients

150 g bacon 5.2 oz
2 onions about 150 g/ 5.2 oz
1 tablespoon olive oil
250 g lentils 8.8 oz . green or brown. (Please double check the cooking instructions on the packet as cooking times do vary according to the type of lentils)
2 ltr vegetable stock /broth 60 fl oz/ 8.5 cups
1 leek whole stick about 200 gr / 7 oz
3 potatoes about 400g/ 14 oz
2 carrots sbouz 200 gr / 7 oz
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 sausages (Frankfurters or smoked sausages)

To serve

rye bread or a crusty roll
sausages

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Chop the bacon into little cubes, peel the onions and finely cube them.
150 g bacon, 2 onions
Heat the olive oil in a pot and fry the bacon and onions until the onions are translucent.
1 tablespoon olive oil
In the meantime rinse the lentils under running water. Then add the lentils with the stock/broth into the pot. Leave the soup to cook for about 30 minutes on medium to low heat. (Please check the cooking instructions on your lentils as cooking time might vary according to the type of lentils you are using).
250 g lentils, 2 ltr vegetable stock /broth
Chop the leeks into rings, peel the potatoes and carrots and roughly cube them.
1 leek, 3 potatoes, 2 carrots
Add the vegetables to the lentils and cook for a further 10 minutes on medium heat. Adding the vegetables at the end of the cooking time will mean that they retain most of their vitamins.
Once the vegetables and lentils are cooked, season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the vinegar spoon by spoon, as the right quantity depends on your preference. If you would like your soup to be more liquid, you can add more broth.
1 teaspoon sugar, 4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Turn off the stove, and add in the sausages to warm them up. Leave them for about 5 minutes. By this time the soup should no longer be boiling and the sausages warm.
3 sausages (Frankfurters or smoked sausages)
Serve hot with some bread on the side.
rye bread or a crusty roll

Notes

I would recommend you check out the step by step pictures in the main post.

How to serve

This soup is served as a main course. If possible, serve with a crusty roll or slices of rye bread to soak up the leftover soup from the bowl.

A nice dark lager is a perfect drink to accompany this dish, as it is not too heavy.

Storage Instructions

You can store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can warm it up on the stove or microwave. The soup will become thicker, every time you warm it up, so you can simply add a little water to achieve the desired consistency.

This soup is perfect for freezing. Simply divide into portions and seal in airtight containers. They are good for up to 6 months.

Nutrition