Lentil Soup - Linsensuppe

One of the comfort foods of my childhood is Linsensuppe or Lentil Soup. My mother was an excellent cook (she cooked in a restaurant for many years) but she never wrote any recipes down. This is how I remember her lentil soup and it takes pretty close to the original.

Linsensuppe - Lentil Soup

1 cup lentils
8 cups water or stock
1 potato, diced
2 carrots, diced or sliced
2 ribs celery, diced or sliced
1 onion, minced
1 pound bratwurst
salt to taste

I don't feel that the lentils needs soaking since they are so small. I boil in the water for about 10 minutes. Then add the vegetables and continue simmering for about 20 minutes.

I take the bratwurst and remove the casing and make small meatballs and brown in a skillet. I believe it is also possible to simply boil the brats in the soup and then when done, remove the casing and slice into small bites and return to the soup. I like the taste and looks of the browned meatballs.

I then add the browned meatballs to the soup and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes.

My mother would not approve of the shape of my meatballs because I am not a perfectionist when it comes to this task. But, they will taste the same. Unfortunately, I do not have the bratwurst I grew up with. In fact, I even like my childhood bratwurst better than what I can find in Germany. The Amana Meat Shop in Amana, Iowa, makes fantastic brats, but for today, I used Johnsonville which comes in a close second.