Make your own lentil soup: a basic recipe with customization tips

The woman in the grill
Lentil Soup – Tips on Adjustments

Written by Anja Auer
06/01/2022, 2:50 pm (Updated)

Lentil soup comes in countless forms. But they all have one thing in common: They are excellent at keeping body and soul on their toes or at getting them on their toes again. This post is about a basic recipe – and how lentil soup can be modified.

basic ingredients

Confirmed lenses. Here everyone can choose their favorite combination of supermarket shelves. What’s also good: a little vegetable soup with parsley or, depending on availability, maggi herb, any lovage. Garlic and onions shouldn’t be missing and some bay leaves go well with it.

meat filling

This must, of course, be determined before cooking. At least when it comes to the question: bacon – yes or no? If so, it makes sense to saute it in the pan before adding it to the cooked lentils and then give it a little roasted aroma on its way into the soup. And if you plan to add capanosi to the soup during the cooking process: it is recommended to cut it into small pieces. The sausage gives wonderful flavors to the soup. In addition, there is no need to cut the sausage on the plate or before serving.

puree or not?

A matter of taste: If you mash part of the soup (but please take the part in question from the pot, otherwise the sausage and bay leaf will be chopped too) it gives the soup a creamy texture. Of course you can play here: mash 20% of the soup first and stir it again. Consistency suits you: good. If not: Mash another 20 percent of the pot contents.

Adjustments

Now to the exciting part – because some may find lentil soup too boring. Now there are, for example, the following options:

• The American alternative: “smooth” with BBQ sauce and use minced meatballs as meat toppings.
• Asian version: When frying onions, add ginger and lemon and season with coriander and cumin.
• Spanish variant: Cut the chorizo ​​into small pieces and let it simmer.
• Hungarian variation: Cut thin Hungarian salami into small pieces and add to cooking.

general information

Servings: 10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Preparation time: 75 minutes

Prepare

• Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and simmer with lentils topped with bay leaves and garlic cloves for about 30 minutes. (Remove any scum that forms during cooking with a perforated spoon.)
• Meanwhile, cut vegetables into small cubes, as well as smoked bacon.
• Put the lard in a skillet and leave the bacon cubes in it.
• Add onions and fry, then add to the pot with potatoes and lentil vegetable soup.
• Cut the capanosi into slices and add them as well.
• Now all ingredients are cooked with the lid closed and over medium heat for 30 to 50 minutes until the desired consistency.
• Then season with salt and pepper.

Anja Auer is the editor-in-chief of BBQ & Food magazine “Die Frau am Grill”. Most recipes work not only on the grill, but also on the stove and oven. If you want to know more about it, you can watch the woman at the barbecue in action on YouTube or read her blog.

(This article was first published on Thursday, April 07, 2022.)