German cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Spätzle with Lentils

Swabian lentils with root vegetables, served with hand-scraped spätzle and a hearty splash of vinegar.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g brown lentils
• 300 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml water
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 celery root
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 30 g butter
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Sort and rinse the lentils and bring to a boil with 1 l cold water, the bay leaf and the halved onion – unsalted, or they will stay tough.
2. Cut carrots and celery root into fine cubes, add to the lentils after 15 min. and gently simmer everything for another 20–25 min. until the lentils are soft but still hold their shape.
3. For the spätzle, beat 300 g flour, eggs, water and 1 tsp salt vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms bubbles and tears off the spoon in ropes; let rest for 15 min.
4. Knead the butter with 1 tbsp flour, stir into the lentils in small flecks and simmer for 5 min. until the broth lightly thickens; season generously and sharply with salt, pepper and vinegar.
5. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil, scrape the dough in thin strips from a wet board into the water in batches and let the spätzle cook for 2 min. each, until they float to the top.
6. Lift out the spätzle with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and arrange in deep bowls with the hot lentils, serving extra vinegar on the side.