How to make Lentil Soup, German-style ❤️

Yum

Here's how to make Lentil Soup, aka Linsensuppe, just like your Oma used to make it. And when I make it, it's always when I've had a bone-in smoked ham. And, it's just before all the ham has been picked off the bone. Well, actually, it's one of the reasons I buy that ham in the first place. To make this lentil soup recipe. The ham dinner that happens before this soup is just incidental!

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In fact, with it's high sides, I often use it when I'm browning meat in order to minimize the splattering all over my stove. Multi-purpose. Perfect for me! Just think how many rouladen or cabbage rolls you can braise in here!

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How to Make Lentil Soup, German-style ❤️

Ingredients:

• ½ lb diced bacon
  
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 cups diced or thickly sliced carrots 
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 lb green or brown lentils
• 1 meaty ham bone 
• 8 cups water or chicken broth
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 -  4 cups cubed potatoes
• vinegar to taste (about 2 Tbsp)

Instructions:

• In a large soup pot, sauté bacon until almost crispy. Add onions, carrots, and celery and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes.
• Wash lentils and pick over and remove any little stones, etc., if necessary.
• Add lentils, ham bone, water (broth), bay leaves, salt, and pepper to soup pot, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
• Bring to simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add cubed potatoes and continue simmering for about 15 - 30 minutes until vegetables and lentils are tender, adding more water if the soup is too thick. Remove ham bone. Pick off any meat from the bone and return to the soup.
• Add more salt and pepper if needed.
  
• Add vinegar to taste.
• Makes 8 servings

Like the soup above? You'll love looking at and making more of Oma's soups. All so quick and easy!

What makes these soups so wunderbar? They bring back such wonderful memories of my Mutti's kitchen. So, of course, I had to write my own soup e-cookbook to share with my grandchildren. I know you'll LOVE it, too! There are 84 full-color pages filled with step-by-step instructions and hints. Take a quick peek ...

Sharing these soup recipes from my Mutti and Oma to my own young grandchildren ... that's such a delicious way to pass on our German heritage :)

A bit of this and a bit of that ...

• If you don't have a ham bone, use water and chicken bouillon cubes 
• We like our soup with a bit of a kick. So, I replace some of the salt with Montreal Steak Spice. I also add Vegeta seasoning. 
• Want some other flavors? The following are nice in this: cumin, coriander, turmeric, thyme, or oregano. Finish off with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar (that's German). 
• Add a bunch of chopped fresh spinach or kale about 10 minutes before soup is done for an extra punch of vitamins (it may not be traditional, but it's great for added nutrition.)
• Add some extra smoked sausage or wieners for some hearty flavor!
  

How to serve Lentil Soup ...

I LOVE adding extra vinegar to my bowl of lentil soup. At home, my Mutti often didn't add the vinegar to the pot of soup, but put a little pitcher of vinegar on the table so everyone could add just as much as they liked. I'd add a whole soup-spoon full to my bowl.

I recall my Vati's Mutti adding honey to here. That was something that always intrigued me. However, I just couldn't bring myself to try it. 

Here's some 'meaty' soups ...

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Want nutritional information for a recipe? Copy and paste the ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count. It will give you an approximate calculation.

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