Directions
- Day before - Rinse and soak legumes per package or instructions
- Day of - Drain legumes, but keep the soaking water.
- Add 2 qts of water to stockpot. Add drained legumes. Add soaking water to ensure legumes are fully submerged.
- Dice carrots and celery and add to the liquid with legumes. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hrs. You now have your soup stock (Do not discard. You want to keep this.)
- When done boiling, if using lentils or want "whole pea" soup, go to the next step. If wanting a puréed soup, remove the legumes, keeping the stock. Purée the legumes and then stir the pureed legumes back into the stock. Put this all aside and keep warm.
- Melt butter (or bacon fat) in a skillet. Add onion. Sauté until onions are just starting to turn translucent.
- Add flour and stir until the flour and onions start to turn a very light brown.
- Ladle in a cup or so of the stock into the flour/onion mix and stir until it is smooth. This is an Einbrenne (or Roux). Be careful, this can burn really easily.
- Add the Einbrenne into the stock and stir. This will help thicken the stock.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes to further thicken. Salt & Pepper to taste.
- Serve garnished with ham, bacon, croutons, pretty much anything. You can even add sausage chunks.
From the Dahoam1516 recipe collection · Hans Diehl
