Food pairing
Beer with lentil soup
Thick, earthy and savoury, usually carrying cumin or coriander.
Thick, earthy and savoury, usually carrying cumin or coriander and very little fat.
Soft food wants a soft beer. Bread-crust malt meets the lentils and a gentle spice character bridges the seasoning; heavy carbonation feels wrong against a soup.
Lentil soup does not constrain the beer much: nothing clashes and nothing is clearly best. Drink what you like, or choose for the sauce, the seasoning or the sides, which will decide more than the dish itself.
What to drink
Dunkelweizen — good pairing
Earthy legumes and cumin against bread-crust malt and light clove. Both are soft, which suits a soup.
American wild ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Flanders red ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Alcohol-free stout — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Alcohol-free wheat beer — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Altbier — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American amber ale — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American brown ale — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Lichtenhainer — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Doppelbock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- American barley wine — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.