German Lentils (Linsen mit Spätzle)
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One of my all-time favorite German comfort dishes, this German lentils recipe, known as Linsen mit Spätzle, is made the way my Mutti and Oma make it in authentic Swabian fashion. The combination of vinegar and just a touch of sugar gives it its famous sweet-sour flavor balance. Coupled with smoky bacon and flavorful veggies, it’s a favorite dish throughout Germany!
If the national dish of Swabia were put up for vote, Schwäbische Linsen mit Spätzle would certainly be one of the finalists. I’m from the Stuttgart area of Baden-Württemberg and this was a frequent and welcome dish in our home. I have fond memories of making this dish with my Mutti and every time I make it now it’s a nostalgic experience. If you’ve lived in southern Germany and have enjoyed the food down there, you’ll find yourself transported back as soon as you sit down to this delicious meal.
What are Linsen mit Spätzle?
This traditional German lentils dish is full of protein-packed lentils, bacon, and vegetables. This dish is not a soup, rather it’s more of a thick stew served over traditional Swabian Spätzle along with German Saitenwurst (long, thin German sausages). It’s generously seasoned with vinegar and just a touch of sugar and the delightful tangy-sweet flavor of these lentils is the distinguishing hallmark of this Swabian lentils dish.
Linsen mit Spätzle, also known as as süß-saure Linsen or sweet-sour lentils, can be found in many restaurants throughout Swabia, it’s a popular dish in many workplace and university cafeterias, and is a household favorite in Swabian homes. Easy to prepare, filling and delicious, it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite.
Swabian-style German Lentils with Spaetzle is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. It also freezes quite well, so feel free to make a double batch!
German Lentils Recipe
Let’s get started!
To get started, in a soup pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until done. Don’t discard the bacon grease, we want that for flavor. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Add the butter, carrots and leek and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the lentils, broth, bay leaf, salt, pepper and sugar and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid (the lentils should be thick). Add the vinegar.
Add the parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes. If it’s too thick for your taste, add a little extra beef broth.
Taste and add more salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar as desired.
Serve over homemade German Spätzle or use store-bought. Traditionally served with German Saitenwurst, which are near impossible to find here in the U.S. unless you live near a German deli, so just serve with your sausage of choice.
Enjoy!
For more authentic German recipes be sure to try our:
- Rouladen
- Sauerbraten
- German Goulash
- Käsespätzle
- German Potato Salad
- Senfbraten
- Schnitzel
- Jägerschnitzel
- Currywurst
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
- Kartoffelpuffer
- Flädlesuppe
- Gaisburger Marsch
- German Goulash
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German Lentils (Linsen mit Spätzle)
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick cut bacon , diced
- 1 large yellow onion , finely diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 carrot , finely diced
- 1 leek , finely chopped, thoroughly rinsed and drained
- 1 pound dried brown lentils , rinsed and drained (no need to soak)
- 7 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Homemade German Spätzle
- or store-bought Spätzle
Instructions
- Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until done (for best flavor don't drain the bacon grease). Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent 5-7 minutes. Add the butter, carrots and leek and cook for 5 minutes.Add the lentils, broth, bay leaf, salt, pepper and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the vinegar and parsley and simmer another 3-4 minutes. If too thick for your taste, add a little extra beef broth. Add more salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar to taste.Serve over Spätzle, commonly with a German Saitenwurst or a sausage of your choice.
Nutrition
Originally published on Daring Gourmet April 6, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Great recipe! One question though: When are you supposed to add the bacon back to the dish? I think you missed that step.
Hi Ian, it was in step 2 (added along with the lentils and remaining ingredients) but I actually just updated it to my current way of making it – don’t remove the bacon at all, just add the onions to the bacon and proceed from there. Happy cooking!
Great to see someone post a recipe in English! Except you forgot the cloves (Nelken)! I think it’s the Cloves that set this lentil dish apart. And celery (or better still chopped celeriac) is a must.
I like to have quite a lot of liquid and then thicken it with a bit of very dark roux made with butter (Einbrenne) as that gives it a sort of lentils in gravy consistency and the extra sort of caramelisation flavour.
ausgezeichnet! Sehr sehr lecker.
Thank you, Deeba! :)
Thank you for this recipe! It took me more years than I care to admit to make lentils for my family, even though I grew up on them, and my husband and sons just loved them! I’m lucky I have a German Deli in town and their ‘Wiener Wurst’ is very close to Saitenwurst, so I come as close to back home ‘im Schwobaländle’ as I can get.
Vielen Dank!
I don’t see the red spice listed. It looks like paprika is it and how much? The picture with the onions, actually it looks like in 2pictures.
Hi Conne, there’s no red spice in it, the only red ingredient in the pictures is the bacon. The reddish color showing under the onions is just the residue from the fried bacon.
Hallo mein Name ist Walter Lang und komme aus Süddeutschland genauer bei der Donau ich bin ein Schwabe mit langer Familientradition beider Eltern. Unser Stammbaum geht über Jahrhunderte zurück.
Folglich gehört unser essen zum schönsten was es gibt. Das Rezept ist soweit in Ordnung, jedoch nehmen wir ein Rauchfleisch das viel intensiver am Geschmack ist(2-3 Jahre gelagert) und echte Saitenwürste.
Zum trinken bitte ein echtes Kristal Weizen z.B. Farny, Waldner. So essen wir zu Mittag.
Ein schwäbischer Spruch. ” dees iisch a gscheidß essaa”
Grüße Walter Lang
Hallo Walter, that’s incredible about the Stammbaum, what a treasure. I wish we could access the Rauchfleisch and Saitenwürste here in the USA but unfortunately, unless you’re lucky to have a proper German butcher nearby (which is a rarity), we have to find substitutes. Thanks for your note and liebe Grüße an Deutschland!
Hi Kimberly! Making this recipe today, and it already smells amazing! I want to let you know that in the past I have had good luck finding really smoky meat in local eastern European markets. Even some thing like a Hungarian smoked pork loin can be a decent substitute, save for the fact that it is low fat.
I’ll update with a rating after dinner 😉 and thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, Crystal, and thanks for the tip about the eastern European markets!
A bit different to the way my OMA and Mutti had cooked this dish. They came from Stuttgart but good.
Tried it and it tasted wonderful.I used Natural Casing Wieners from Abbyland, Wisconsin… delicious. Took half of the lentils and pureed them…. outstanding. Just like home. Thank for the great recipe.
Wonderful, Greta, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!