Lentil soup ala Anna Pauline

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 package of lentils, brown
• 3 stalk(s) leeks
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 potatoes
• 1 piece(s) bacon
• some broth (clear meat soup)
• 10 peppercorns, black
• Thyme
• marjoram
• 4 sausages (Mettwurst or Bockwurst)

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

…against the autumn blues

Place the lentils in a large pot, let them puff up briefly, then drain in a sieve and rinse (takes off the hairy stuff, my mother-in-law said). Return the lentils to the pot, add enough stock to cover the lentils completely and thoroughly, and simmer. Trim and slice the leeks into rings, finely chop the onions, finely chop the raw potatoes, peel and finely chop the garlic, and gradually add everything to the pot with the lentils. Add enough meat broth to cover everything well. Add the piece of bacon (you can add it, but it’s not necessary; it’s for flavor) and peppercorns, and simmer. Season with thyme and dried marjoram. Simmer until the lentils are tender, which takes about 50 minutes. Add more meat broth or water if necessary. Stir occasionally, otherwise the lentils will burn. When the lentils are tender, I turn off the heat and let the whole thing simmer; the longer the better. It also tastes great the next day. We serve it with Mettwurst or Bockwurst, and the dog gets the bacon. An old recipe from my mother-in-law, highly addictive at least in our house.