Swabian Lentils

Description: Swabian lentils are a favorite dish in southern Germany, especially in Swabia. This recipe is authentic and intended for many people. It can easily be prepared in a large pot and frozen as well.

XXL

Author: Daniel

Publication Date: 2024-12-28

Category: Main course

Cuisine: German

Preparation Time: 1H

Baking Time: 1H

Total Time: 3H

Yields: 14 servings

Ingredients

• 1.6 kg Alb Leisa 1 Die Große
• 12 bay leaves
• 10 juniper berries
• 200g tomato paste
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 4 tsp frozen parsley
• 14 tbsp Hengstenberg vinegar
• 5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 10 tsp beef broth
• 4 medium onions
• 10 g butter
• 6 tbsp flour
• 180 g butter

Instructions

1. Preparing the Lentils: For the lentils, you need authentic Swabian 'Alb Leisa 1 Die Große'. These can be found in various shops in the Swabian region or ordered online. We order 5 kg in advance every September.
2. Important Preparation Notes: In the recipe below, roux and onions are heated. Only when the roux and onions are nicely browned do you get the dark color of typical Swabian lentils. Many recipes online are written for 'normal' portions. When you want to make lentils in bulk, these recipes often don't scale well. Therefore, we had to make several attempts before they turned out perfectly. This recipe is only intended for this large XXL portion. Lentils are perfect for freezing. We often make this XXL batch and then freeze portions. The second time they are reheated, they often taste even better. If you're vegetarian, you can replace the beef broth with vegetable broth. We recommend Hengstenberg vinegar.
3. Preparation the Day Before: The day before, soak 1.6 kilograms of lentils in a large pot. When soaking, make sure there's at least 5 cm of water above the lentils, as the lentils expand well.
4. Preparation on Cooking Day: The next day, add more water so the pot is well filled. There should be at least 3 liters of liquid in the pot. You'll need a really large pot. Additionally, add 12 bay leaves and 10 juniper berries in a tea infuser and cook the lentil soup for two hours. Refill with water if it evaporates.
5. Tomato Paste Mixture: Measure out 200 grams of tomato paste and place it in a bowl. Add half a teaspoon of sugar and four teaspoons of frozen parsley. Now add 14 tablespoons of vinegar and stir well. Finally, add 5 teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of pepper.
6. Remove Spices: After the lentils have cooked for two hours, remove the bay leaves and juniper berries.
7. Beef Broth: Add the appropriate beef broth and bring it to a boil. You'll need 10 level teaspoons of beef broth.
8. Fry Onions: Chop four onions into small pieces and add them to a small pan. The pieces should be as small as possible. Fry the onions with 10 g of butter until golden brown.
9. Make Roux: Add 180 grams of butter to the pot and measure out 6 tablespoons of flour. This will create a brown roux. This step can be tricky because the roux should not be too light, but you must also ensure it doesn't burn.
10. Add Onions: Once the roux is brown, add the onions and let it cool down (be careful, it may splash).
11. Now add the roux to the tomato paste mixture.
12. Mix: Then add the tomato paste mixture to the lentils, bring it to a boil again, and let it cook for another 30 minutes. If the lentils aren't cooked through yet, cook them for another 30 minutes.
13. Serve: Now the lentils should be cooked through and ready to serve.

Nutritional Information