Linseneintopf (German lentil stew with sausages)
Earthy lentils, carrots, potatoes and celeriac simmered until thick and soft, with sliced sausages warmed through at the end. The splash of vinegar and pinch of sugar stirred in just before serving are what make it taste the way a German lentil stew should.
- Time
- 75 min (20 prep + 55 cook)
- Servings
- 4
- Per serving
- 471 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola oil, or Butterschmalz
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3–4 medium carrots, diced
- 1 small piece celeriac, peeled, diced
- 1 small leek, white and pale green, sliced
- 1 1/4 cups green lentils, German Tellerlinsen or brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 medium gold potatoes, peeled, diced
- 6 oz (3–4 sausages) lean wiener sausage, lean Wiener or poultry frankfurters (Geflügelwiener), sliced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, carrot, celeriac and leek for 5 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften.
- Add the lentils, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not salt or add vinegar yet: acid keeps lentils hard.
- Add the potatoes and simmer, covered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are soft. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- Fish out the bay leaf and warm the sliced sausages in the stew for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, pepper and parsley, then taste and add salt to taste and more vinegar until the stew tastes bright. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and thickens as it stands, so add a little water when you reheat it. It freezes for 3 months.
Good to know
Which lentils should I buy?
Tellerlinsen, the flat brown lentils sold everywhere in Germany, are the traditional choice. Brown or green lentils work the same. Red lentils fall apart and give a different soup.
Can I make it without sausages?
Yes, it is a filling stew on its own. Leave them out, add a little smoked paprika if you like, and it comes out at about 76 instead of 68.
Why does it need vinegar?
Without it, lentils taste flat. Germans often put the bottle on the table so everyone can sharpen their own bowl.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 82
- Protein
- (23%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (22%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (55%)
- 12 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 299 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1884 kcal goes into the pot and 2438 g of ingredients comes out as about 2292 g of food: 82 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.