Sour Lentil Soup

Lentils are a fantastic ingredient because they are cheap, delicious, and can be stored for over a year in dried form. These qualities make them the perfect food for low-income, somewhat disorganized food lovers like myself. This soup is savory and filling, ideal for a cold winter night in Budapest.

1 cup dried lentils
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
3 stalks celery (sliced into small crescents)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound Hungarian sausage (cut into rounds)
Sour cream (for dolloping on top of individual servings)

Start by soaking the lentils in cold water for several hours. Drain the lentils and replace them in a large pot. Add 4 cups of fresh cold water. Add the onion and the celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and put on low heat for about 1 hour.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add more flour for a thicker consistency soup. Add half a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the flour mixture and stir constantly to develop a paste. Add this paste to the lentils. Chunks of paste may stick together, so be sure to whisk thoroughly. Soup can be thickened with more flour paste or thinned with more water. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to adjust flavor at this point.

Fry the sausages briefly with olive oil, then add them to the soup. Let the whole thing simmer together for a few minutes, making sure the sausages are heated all the way through. Add a spoonful of sour cream on top of your serving for authentic Hungarian flavor. Delish!