German

Serving

Linsensuppe (German Lentil Soup with Sausage)

Name: Linsensuppe (German Lentil Soup with Sausage)
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 300 g brown or green lentils, rinsed; 200 g smoked sausage, sliced; 1 onion, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1.5 liters beef or vegetable stock; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 bay leaf; Salt and black pepper, to taste

A hearty German lentil soup simmered with smoky sausage, root vegetables, and a splash of vinegar for brightness.

50 minutes

Serves 6

Lunch

18 min prep

28 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Heat oil in a large pot and sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
2
Add the lentils, sliced sausage, stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.
3
Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30-35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
4
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the red wine vinegar.
5
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6
Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread.

Linsensuppe (German Lentil Soup with Sausage) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Linsensuppe (German Lentil Soup with Sausage) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

70/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 84

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 45

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

250

Calories

15 g

Protein

17 g

Carbs

14 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Linsensuppe is a hearty German lentil soup built around smoked sausage, a dish rooted in the frugal, filling cooking of rural households where lentils and pork stretched a meal across a whole week. The soup's signature move, a splash of vinegar stirred in near the end, is what separates it from a plain bean soup, brightening the earthy lentils and rich sausage. It's a common autumn and winter lunch across Germany, often served with a hunk of bread.

Listahan note

This version holds the vinegar back until the very end so its brightness stays sharp rather than cooking off, and keeps the vegetables diced small enough that they melt into the broth rather than sitting as separate bites.

Technique cues

Add the vinegar at the very end, off the heat if possible, so its brightness stays sharp instead of mellowing away during a long simmer.
Simmer the lentils partially covered rather than fully covered; this lets some liquid reduce so the soup thickens naturally instead of staying thin.
Taste and adjust the vinegar in small increments; too much added early is hard to balance back out, while too little leaves the soup tasting flat.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Slice the sausage and dice the vegetables while the stock heats, so everything goes into the pot in quick succession.
Make-ahead: This soup keeps and even improves over a day or two in the fridge as the flavors meld further.
Leftover move: Leftover Linsensuppe thickens as it sits, so thin it with a splash of stock when reheating and serve over a slice of toasted bread.
Cleanup rhythm: One pot handles the entire soup; wipe it out while still warm since lentils can stick if left to dry.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Brown or green lentils

Main body

Purpose: They hold their shape well through a 30-35 minute simmer while still softening enough to thicken the broth, unlike red lentils which break down completely.

Handling: Rinse well to remove any grit before adding to the pot.

Adaptation: Red lentils cook faster and break down into a smoother, thicker soup if that texture is preferred.

Smoked sausage

Savory protein and smoke flavor

Purpose: Its smokiness infuses the whole pot of broth as it simmers, giving the soup a depth that plain lentils alone wouldn't have.

Handling: Slice into rounds so it distributes evenly through each bowl.

Adaptation: A smoked kielbasa or bratwurst both work as substitutes.

Celery stalks, diced

Aromatic base vegetable

Purpose: It's part of the classic mirepoix-style base that builds the soup's savory foundation alongside the onion and carrot.

Handling: Dice small so it softens fully into the broth during the simmer.

Adaptation: There isn't a great flavor-equivalent swap for a celery allergy; simply omitting it and adding a bit more carrot is the more honest substitution.

Red wine vinegar

Brightening acid

Purpose: It's the ingredient that keeps this soup from tasting flat or overly earthy, cutting through the richness of the sausage and lentils.

Handling: Stir in near the very end of cooking, not earlier, so the acidity stays vivid.

Adaptation: Apple cider vinegar works as a slightly fruitier substitute.

Carrots, diced

Sweetness and aromatic base

Purpose: Their natural sweetness balances the lentils' earthiness and the sausage's saltiness.

Handling: Dice small alongside the celery and onion so everything cooks at the same rate.

Adaptation: Parsnip can substitute for a slightly sweeter, more complex flavor.

Technique notes

Check the lentils for doneness by tasting a few, not just by the clock, since freshness and age of dried lentils changes cook time noticeably.
If the soup looks too thick after simmering, thin it with a splash of extra stock rather than water, to keep the flavor from getting diluted.
Remove the bay leaf before serving; it's easy to forget in a soup this hearty and unpleasant to bite into by accident.

Ingredient swaps

Celery-free direction: Omit the celery entirely and add an extra carrot or a small diced parsnip to keep the aromatic base balanced.
Gluten-free direction: This soup is naturally gluten-free as written; just confirm the sausage brand doesn't use wheat-based fillers.
Vegetarian path: Skip the sausage, use vegetable stock, and add a smoked paprika or a splash of liquid smoke to keep some of the smoky depth.

Serve alongside

Crusty rye bread
Simple green salad
Soft pretzel
Butter and radishes
Pilsner
Dry Riesling
Sparkling water with lemon

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop, thinning with a splash of stock or water since the lentils continue to absorb liquid as they sit.
Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Equipment

Large soup pot
Sharp knife for dicing vegetables
Ladle

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