German Lentil Recipe (Linsen mit Spätzle)

german lentil recipe linsen mit spatzle dirndl kitchen

5 from 21 votes

German Lentil Recipe (Linsen mit Spätzle)

Lentils are a power food packed with plant-based protein, fiber and iron. My Oma Sieghilde knew where it's at! Honoring her German cooking and the reason for why my blog exists, here an update on one of my very favorite recipes from her: Lentils with Spätzle.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: German

Keyword: German Comfort Meals, German High Protein Meals, German Lentils and Noodles, German Noodles with Lentils, Linsen mit Spätzle

Servings: servings

Calories: 734kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Lentils

1 pound lentils I used black lentils this time, and I LOVED them! The taste is more delicate than green or brown lentils and they keep their shape well!
1 yellow onion on the large side
1.5 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
red wine vinegar to taste
3 carrots peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
1 liter vegetable stock

Roux

2 tablespoon butter
2 Tbsp flour

Other

8 beef sausages can also use pork sausages or a mixture of beef and pork
1 package dried Spätzle OR (much recommended) two batches of my homemade Spätzle
1 tablespoon butter

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Lentils

Drain, rinse and sort the lentils.
In a pot, sauté the onion and carrot in a little bit of butter.
Add the lentils and fill the pot with water until it covers the lentils by about 1 inch. Add the vegetable stock, tomato paste and bay leaves. Cook for about 45 minutes.
Make a roux and add to the lentils to thicken the mixture (find Emeril's recipe for a roux here).

Spätzle

Cook according to package instructions OR make 2 batches of my homemade Spätzle (so worth it!).
Drop some flakes of butter over the hot Spätzle and allow it to melt into the noodles. This will add incredible taste and will keep the noodles from sticking.
If serving with sausages, warm them in hot water (not boiling) and keep them warm until serving them.

Notes

Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, mix desired amount with a bit of water (the lentils have likely soaked up more water), then either reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition