Sitting on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards of the Kurger-Rumpf winery nestled in the rolling hills of the Pflaz area of Germany, I was thrilled by the scenery and the sumptuous spread laid out before me.
In this idyllic setting, I had a hearty and delicious frankfurter and lentil soup after a sunny morning of picking grapes for the harvest.
Ulrike Baum, one of my lunch companions, told me that this is a typical soup of the region, “It gives us fuel after work in the vineyards.” It’s a one-pot meal that will brighten an evening dinner.
The soup has onions, carrots and celery. Ulricke’s hint here is to grate or chop these vegetables so that they will cook faster.
Frankfurters were served with the soup to make this a complete and very satisfying meal. Look for lean frankfurters with about 20 calories of fat in a 50 g serving as listed on the nutritional label.
HELPFUL HINTS
Nutrition: This meal has 584 calories per serving with 37 percent of calories from fat.
Substitutions: Any type of lean frankfurter or sausage can be used. Balsamic vinegar can be substituted for apple cider vinegar.
To buy: 1 bunch celery, 1 small package dried lentils, 1/2 pound lean frankfurters, 1 bunch parsley, 1 bottle cider vinegar and 1 small loaf German-style dark bread.
Staples: Olive oil, onion, carrots, salt and black peppercorns.
DINNER IN MINUTES from C3
ULRIKE’S FRANKFURTER AND LENTIL SOUP 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped or grated onion
1 cup coarsely chopped or grated carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped or grated celery
4 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/2 pound lean frankfurters, cut into 1-inch slices (about 11/2 cups)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices German-style dark bread
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute five minutes. Add the water and bring to a rolling boil. Slowly add the lentils so that the water continues to boil.
Cover and boil 15 minutes. Add the frankfurters and vinegar and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the parsley and pepper to taste. Frankfurters contain salt.
Taste the soup before adding more salt. Serve with the bread.
Per serving: 584 calories (37 percent from fat), 24.3 g fat (8.6 g saturated, 19.7 g monounsaturated), 50 mg cholesterol, 31.2 g protein, 62.0 g carbohydrates, 21.5 g fiber, 1,180 mg sodium.
Makes 2 servings Contact author Linda Gassenheimer at linda@ dinnerinminutes.com.
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