I firmly believe that foodwise, there’s hardly anything more comforting than a hearty soup.
And maybe it’s the whole Corona situation (schools definitely closed in Berlin until May 4th and then? Who knows?) but I really find myself craving more comfort food than I usually do in the springtime. The days are getting longer and the sun is definitely out a lot more here in Berlin (finally!), but there is still a definite chill in the air in the morning and as soon as the sun is gone. So I have an excellent excuse for making my favorite German Lentil Soup, aka A Hug In A Bowl. I urge you to give it a try, I promise you’ll be making it on repeat until it gets too hot to even think of soup!
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
Serves 4
150 g thick cut bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 leek, cut into fine rings (set some aside as garnish)
400 g celeriac root, rough skin peeled off and diced
Small bunch flat leaf parsley plus more for garnish
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
150 g dried brown lentils, rinsed
4 cups (1 l) chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp white wine vinegar
3 Vienna sausages or Frankfurters
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Cook the bacon and onions together until the bacon fat has rendered into the pot and the bacon is crispy.
Add the leeks, celeriac root, and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are glazed.
Pour in the stock and scrape any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the lentils, potatoes and parsley. Cook on medium heat with the lid on for 20-30 minutes. Remove the parsley and discard.
Stir in the cumin, vinegar and sugar, then add salt and pepper to taste. Slice the sausages and heat in the soup.
Garnish with chopped parsley and some leek rings. Serve with crusty bread and salty butter.