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German

Linsensuppe

Non-vegetarian

A thick, homely soup of brown lentils, potato and root vegetables, smoky with bacon and finished with a dash of vinegar. Often served with sliced sausages.

Linsensuppe is a German soup from Germany, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes and made with green or brown lentils and potato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h 5 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
246

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the bacon (opens in a new tab) (if using) in the oil until it renders, then add the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), celery (opens in a new tab) and leek (opens in a new tab) and cook until softened.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the lentils, potatoes (opens in a new tab), stock, bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and marjoram (opens in a new tab). Bring to the boil, then simmer partly covered until the lentils are soft and the potatoes begin to break down.

    • 40 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Warm the sliced sausages in the soup for 5 minutes if using.

    • 5 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Season with salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and the vinegar – add it gradually and taste, it should lift rather than sour the soup. Serve with parsley (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Germany · Well documentedAlso popular in AustriaMore food from Germany
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
earthy, savoury, sour
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · High-protein · Low-fat
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Pork-free, Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly · Meal-prep friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Green or brown lentils · Potato · Onion · Carrot · Celery · Leek
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Milkfrom frankfurter (hot dog sausage)
  • May contain: Wheatfrom frankfurter (hot dog sausage)
  • May contain: Glutenfrom vegetable stock, frankfurter (hot dog sausage)
  • May contain: Soyfrom frankfurter (hot dog sausage)
  • May contain: Mustardfrom frankfurter (hot dog sausage)
  • Contains: Celeryfrom celery, vegetable stock
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom wine vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

246 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 417 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 69%
  • Fat 11%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy246 kcal59 kcal
Protein12.6 g3 g
Carbohydrate43.9 g10.5 g
Net carbohydrate36.9 g8.8 g
Sugars5.1 g1.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7 g1.7 g
Fat3.1 g0.7 g
Saturated fat0.3 g0.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1163 mg279 mg
Salt equivalent2.9 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
701 mg
Calcium
57 mg
Iron
3.9 mg
Magnesium
44 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
214 µg
Vitamin C
18 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
229 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: bacon, frankfurter (hot dog sausage), parsley.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The vinegar at the end is essential: lentil soup tastes flat without it.

Serve with

  • Serve with rye bread, and put extra vinegar and mustard on the table.

Food safety

  • Render the bacon until cooked through; frankfurters are pre-cooked but should be heated until piping hot.
  • Cool the soup quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen (freeze without the sausages).

Reheating

  • Thin with a little water as it thickens on standing; reheat until steaming hot.

Variations

  • Swabian Linsen mit Spätzle (Germany): In Swabia lentils are cooked thicker and served with Spätzle and sausages.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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