A recipe for hearty, warming lentil soup

Good beer and honest cooking

Lokál is a dream which came true – one of a Czech pub where regulars feel at home. In 2009 we opened Lokál Dlouháááá, and the others soon followed. Today we have nine locations – seven in Prague, one in Brno and another in Pilsen.
We serve beer that's fresh, right to the last sip, and real home cooking. Lokál is a place where good beer and honest food matter.

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Ingredients for 6 servings

• 240 g lentils
• 120 g onions
• 20 g garlic
• 20 g lard + extra for browning the sausages
• 2 l of broth
• salt and pepper
• 200 g Debrecen sausages
• 5 g marjoram
• bread to serve

For the roux

• 20 g lard
• 30 g plain flour

Procedure:

1. Start by preparing the roux. In a saucepan over a medium heat, heat the lard, and add the flour, stirring constantly until the flour starts to turn pink. Set the roux aside and leave to cool. Keep stirring the sauce for at least one more minute, otherwise it will easily stick to the bottom of the saucepan!
2. Pick through the lentils and remove any stones or other impurities. Finely chop the onion and peel the garlic. In a saucepan over medium-high heat heat the lard, add the onions and let them brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and and sauté together briefly until golden. The garlic should be fragrant, but it must not be roasted for long, as it will turn bitter.
3. Add the lentils to the sautéed onions and garlic. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and cook over a low-medium heat for about 45 minutes, so that the lentils become tender.
4. In the meantime, cut the sausages into thin slices and lightly fry them in a pan in a little lard.
5. Add the sausages to the soup, stirring constantly, and pour in the cooled roux. Now, bring to the boil so the soup has a chance to thicken. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the lentils are completely softened.
6. 6. Finally, season the soup with marjoram, rubbing the herb in your fingers beforehand. Add the fried sausages to the pot and stir. Serve with fresh bread.

The text was published in the Štamgast newspaper, which you can pick up free of charge in Lokál restaurants. Browse it online here. Have fun reading!