Lentil soup with sausages

This is a family classic. My mum usually prepares the soup a day before we eat it. It is a fantastic hearty and packed with vegetables and lentils healthy on top. If you are a vegetarian or still trying to loose the some xmas pounds, just use lean ham (cooked ham) instead of bacon and sausages.

Level: Easy | Time: 60 minutes | serves 6

Ingredients

1 knob of butter

2 stalks of celery, chopped

3 rashes of smoked, streaky bacon

6 sausages (Frankfurter) cut into pieces

1 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 small leeks, washed and cut into rings

2 carrot peeled and cut into small pieces

1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and Pepper

Parsley

Preparation

1. Heat a little butter in a big pot on a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and bacon and cook for 5-10 minutes.
2. Now, add all the vegetables and the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep cooking the soup on a low heat.
3. After 20 minutes add the sausages and turn the heat off.
4. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
5. If the soup could use a little more taste, try adding a little bit of tomato paste (2 TS) or a splash of vinegar and a little sugar. That helps to bring out the different tastes even more.
6. Serve the soup with a sprinkling of parsley.

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Hearty German potato soup with smoky bacon

When I was walking home yesterday, I saw the blue and white decorated stands of the Dublin Oktoberfest.

It is an annual event and I can not resist it. The lovely smells just make me hungry and even though the music is very cheesy, it’s still great fun.

Inspired by the Oktoberfest I decided to prepare a traditional German potato soup today. It`s simple but delicious.

Photos: Sandra Schumann

Level: Easy | Time: 40 minutes | serves 4

Ingredients

1 knob of butter

1 big onion, finely chopped

2 medium-sized carrots peeled and cut into small pieces

4 medium-sized potatoes cut into small pieces

1 small stalk of celery peeled and cut into small pieces

150 grams of nice smoky bacon rashes

750 ml of chicken or vegetable stock

2 TS of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the butter in a large pot and cook the onions and celery.
2. After 5-10 minutes add the potatoes and carrots and the stock to the pot and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile cook the bacon in a separate frying pan until crispy. You can cut the bacon in small slices if you like or leave it whole. I do not add the bacon to the soup when cooking it, as the bacon can lose its nice colour and turn into an unappetizing grey.
4. After 15 minutes take the soup of the heat and mash it with a potato masher. Mash until the soup is creamy and smooth but leave some nice potato and carrot pieces in it.
5. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl, decorate nicely with the bacon and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Guten Appetit!

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