Warm up in the cold season with our Brussels sprouts soup with balsamic lentils

Ingredients:

for 4 - 6 people, preparation time approx. 60 min

Soup
600 g Brussels sprouts
50 g onions
1 clove garlic
40 ml rapeseed oil with butter flavouring (vegan)
500 ml Schlagfix universal whipping cream
600 ml water
1 g nutmeg, ground
Sea salt fine to taste
Soup stock
140 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
50 ml water
½ onion, white
10 ml rapeseed oil with butter flavouring (vegan)
Pepper & salt to taste
Balsamic lentils
60 g beluga lentils
180 ml water
40 ml balsamic vinegar, dark
5 ml rapeseed oil with butter flavouring
1 sprig thyme
25 g birch sugar (xylitol)
Sea salt fine to taste
Brussels sprout chips
80 g outer Brussels sprout leaves
150 ml rapeseed oil with butter flavouring (vegan)
Sea salt, fine
Garnish
½ bunch parsley

 

BRUSSELS SPROUT

Brussels sprouts, Brussels cabbage, in Austria also sprouts and cabbage sprouts as well as lat. Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera (also called "Rosenköhlchen") is a vegetable and a variety of vegetable cabbage from the cruciferous plant family. On a tall stem (50 to 70 cm), buds (leaf florets) form in a spirally ascending, dense arrangement, which are located in the leaf axils, at least in the upper area.

The cut florets, which have a green-white colour and a diameter of 10 to about 50 mm, are sold under the name "Brussels sprouts" (in Austria "Kohlsprossen", otherwise also "Sprossenkohl").

Brussels sprouts are a biennial plant. If the florets are not harvested, then after overwintering they sprout into shoots in spring, which bear flowers in summer.

Harvesting and recycling

Early varieties can be harvested from September onwards, but the main harvesting season is in November and December. You pick the florets carefully from the bottom to the top of the stalk. Brussels sprouts are hardy in many areas. In very cold areas, overwinter the whole plants in a sheltered, shaded area outdoors. Repeated frosts below -10 °C are very damaging to the florets. Brussels sprouts are tasty as a salad and cooked as a vegetable and are excellent for freezing. Brussels sprouts contain many minerals and fibres as well as vitamin A, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Preparation:

Soup
Wash the Brussels sprouts well and remove the outer unsightly leaves (keep for the chips). Peel the onion and garlic, cut everything into large cubes, sauté lightly with the rapeseed oil and add water. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the universal whipping cream and puree until smooth. Flavour with nutmeg and salt.
Soup stock
Finely dice the onion and sauté lightly with the oil. Halve the Brussels sprouts and add with the water, simmer gently until the Brussels sprouts are cooked, season with salt and pepper.
Balsamic lentils
Gently simmer the Beluga lentils with the water and thyme until the water has evaporated. Add the balsamic vinegar and birch sugar and simmer as well. Add the rapeseed oil and season with salt.
Brussels sprout chips
Wash the Brussels sprouts well and spin dry (salad spinner). Heat the frying fat to approx. 140°C and fry the Brussels sprouts in it until golden yellow.