Linsensuppe( Lentil Soup ) -

Linsensuppe
( Lentil Soup )

Ingredients

14 oz dried quick-cooking lentils
3 pints cold water
4 oz lean bacon in 1 piece
1 leek, white part plus 2 inches of green, finely chopped
1 large carrot, scraped and finely chopped
1 parsnip, scraped and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 oz bacon fat
2 oz finely chopped onions
½ oz flour
1½ tablespoons cider vinegar (optional)
2 frankfurters, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1 scant teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Details

Serves: 6

Method

Wash the lentils thoroughly under cold running water. Bring 3 pints of water to the boil in a large, heavy saucepan over a high heat. Add the lentils, the piece of bacon, and the chopped leek, carrot, parsnip and celery. Return to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Melt the bacon fat over a moderate heat in a heavy, medium-sized frying pan and when it begins to splutter, add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and lightly coloured. Sprinkle the flour over them, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns a golden brown. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Ladle about 6 table­spoons of the simmering lentil soup into the browned flour and beat vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the vinegar, if you are using it. Then, with a spatula, scrape the entire contents of the frying pan into the lentils and stir together thoroughly.

Cover the saucepan and simmer over a low heat for about another 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Before serving, cut the bacon into small dice and return it to the soup with the sliced frankfurters. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes to heat the meat through, then stir in the salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

If the soup is to be served as a main dish, increase the number of frank­furters as necessary.

Related food category:

• Soup