Slovak Lentil Soup with Vinegar

Name: Slovak Lentil Soup with Vinegar
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 300 g lentils; 100 g smoked bacon; 1 pc onion; 3 cloves garlic; 2 pcs carrot; 100 g celeriac; 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 5 g caraway; 2 pcs bay leaves; 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil; 1200 ml water; salt; black pepper

Eduard LáskaSoupSlovak Cuisine x se líbilo

Lentil soup with vinegar is a staple of Slovak home cooking, filling and warming at once. It simmers with brown legumes, smoked bacon and root vegetables that give it a rich, earthy taste. The signature tang comes from a spoon of apple cider vinegar stirred in right at the end. The pot thickens nicely, so it easily stands in as a main course. Serve it warm, with a slice of fresh bread, ideally on a cold day.

Příprava: 15min

Vaření: 35min

CELKOVÝ ČAS: 50min

Step by step process

Preparation

1
For the lentil soup, rinse the lentils under cold water and drain. Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes, finely chop the onion, press the garlic and dice the carrot and celeriac into small pieces. Keep the bay leaf and some salt and pepper within reach as well.

Cooking the soup

2
Heat the rapeseed oil in a pot and fry the bacon until golden. Add the onion and saute for about five minutes until translucent. The bacon releases its fat, and the onion softens gently in it.
3
Stir in the pressed garlic and caraway and saute briefly. Add the rinsed legumes, carrot and celeriac and stir everything together well.
4
Pour in water, add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until the pulses are tender and the flavors meld. Stir now and then and watch that the bottom does not catch.

Finishing

5
Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and add cider vinegar to taste. Before serving, taste once more and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve warm with a slice of fresh bread.