• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cook Like Czechs
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Main Dishes

    Czech Čočka na kyselo Recipe

    Published: Jul 5, 2021 · Modified: Jul 15, 2022 by Petra Kupská

    Jump to Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 43shares

    Čočka na kyselo, aka Czech sour-style lentil sauce, is one of the simpler dishes of the Czech cuisine. When seasoned well and with the addition of a colorful garnish, it is a feast for the eyes and tongue.

    Czech čočka na kyselo on a plate.
    Table of Contents show
    ➜ About this Recipe
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ Instructions with Photos
    ➜ Serving
    ➜ Storage
    ➜ Cooking Tips
    Čočka na kyselo – Czech Sour-style Lentils

    ➜ About this Recipe

    Czech dish "čočka na kyselo" is comprised of cooked brown or green lentils, mixed with onion roux, seasoned with salt, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. Side dishes such as dill pickles, fried egg, sausage, or smoked meat are often added to the plate.

    Czechs traditionally eat lentils on January 1, the New Year. There's a saying: how many lentils you eat is how much money you'll have throughout the year. The recipe should bring you luck in monetary dealings, and the lentils symbolize coins.

    MY TIP: If you're a fan of lentils, try this great lentil soup too.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Here's your shopping list for everything you need to make "čočka na kyselo".

    Czech sour lentils cocka na kyselo ingredients listed.

    For lentils:

    • Dried lentils; green or brown, any common type of lentils
    • Cold water
    • Bay leaves
    • Vinegar; the exact amount depends on the type of vinegar used, and white wine vinegar is a very good choice
    • Salt
    • Granulated sugar

    For onion roux:

    • Onion
    • Pork lard; or vegetable oil – sunflower oil or Canola
    • All-purpose flour
    • Lentil broth

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    For serving:

    Combine one or more side dishes of the type: fried onion rings, fried sausage, sunny-side-up fried egg (in Czech "sázené vejce" or "volské oko"), pickles, rye bread.

    ➜ Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Rinse the lentils in a colander with running water and pour them into the pot. Fill with water about three times the volume of the lentils. Add the bay leaves, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. 

    Lentils in a pot with bay leaves, covered with water.

    STEP 2: Turn down the heat on the stove and cook the lentils according to the manufacturer's instructions until tender.

    STEP 3: Drain the cooked lentils, set the broth aside in a bowl for now.

    STEP 4: In the meantime, prepare the roux with the onions.

    Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the lard in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the flour and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Making roux with onions in a pan.

    Slowly add the lentil broth in batches, stirring well to prevent lumps from forming.

    Making roux with onions in a pan.

    Finally, turn down the heat and let the onion roux slowly cook for about 15 minutes. Stir from time to time.

    STEP 5: Add the cooked lentils. Only now salt, add vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Stir well.

    Adding lentils to the onion roux.

    If necessary, season more. Remix everything, and the dish is ready.

    Cooked čočka na kyselo dish.

    ➜ Serving

    Finished lentils are served warm, usually with several types of side dishes that can be freely combined.

    Czech dish čočka na kyselo served with fried egg, sausage, pickles.

    Here are the most typical examples of sides:

    1. Pickles; one or two pickled cucumbers in sweet and sour brine with dill.
    2. Fried onion rings, browned in oil or lard, lightly salted. The onion is placed on the lentils as a garnish.
    3. Fried egg; roughly one egg per serving. As a final touch, garnish the egg with a sprig of green parsley.
    4. Smoked sausage; cut in half and fried in a pan. You can serve a slice of smoked meat instead.
    5. Rye bread; you can also serve the "čočka na kyselo" lentils with a slice of fresh rye bread.

    ➜ Storage

    These sour-style lentils should be served immediately after preparation. Over time, the lentils will absorb the sour taste of the vinegar, and the dish becomes bland.

    If you have leftover lentils, let them cool completely, cover with cling film, and store them in the fridge. The next day you can use it to make a tasty spread or lentil soup.

    ➜ Cooking Tips

    • Classic dried brown or green lentils are best suited for this dish. Do not use red lentils, as they are easily overcooked. Do not use canned lentils either.
    • Vinegar is generally added only when the lentils are finally seasoned, not before. White wine vinegar, which does not have a very pungent taste, is best. Always add the vinegar carefully, then stir and taste.
    • I use one medium onion, one tablespoon lard, one tablespoon all-purpose flour, and one cup of lentil broth to make a roux for the "čočka na kyselo" lentils for four people. This ratio has worked well for me to make the lentils just the right thickness.

    More tasty recipes

    • Pork patties – Czech vepřenky
    • Lettuce salad – with buttermilk dressing
    • Caraway soup – Czech kmínová polévka

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    Czech čočka na kyselo recipe

    Čočka na kyselo – Czech Sour-style Lentils

    Čočka na kyselo, aka Czech sour-style lentil sauce, is one of the simple dishes of Czech cuisine. When seasoned well and with the addition of a colorful garnish, it can be a feast for the eyes and tongue.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: lentil recipes

    Ingredients

    For lentils:

    • 1 and ¼ cups (250 g) dried lentils e.g., green or brown
    • 4 cups (1 ltr) cold water
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ¼ tsp granulated sugar
    • 1-2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

    For onion roux:

    • 1 onion medium-sized
    • 1 Tbsp pork lard or vegetable oil, e.g., sunflower oil or canola
    • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (240 ml) lentil broth

    Instructions

    • Rinse the lentils in a colander with running water and pour them into the pot. Fill with water about three times the volume of the lentils. Add the bay leaves, cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
    • Turn down the heat on the stove and cook lentils according to the manufacturer's instructions until tender.
    • Drain the cooked lentils, reserve the broth in a bowl.
    • Roux with onion: Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the lard in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the flour and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the lentil broth in batches, stirring well to prevent lumps from forming. Finally, turn down the heat and let the onion roux slowly cook for about 15 minutes. Stir from time to time.
    • Mix the cooked lentils with the finished roux. Only now salt, add vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Stir well. If necessary, season more. Remix everything, and the dish is ready.

    Notes

    1. Makes 4 yields.
    2. SERVING: Finished lentils are served warm, usually with several types of side dishes that can be freely combined. Here are the most typical examples of sides: fried onion rings, fried sausage, fried eggs (in Czech "sázené vejce" or "volské oko"), pickles, rye bread.
    3. STORAGE: Sour lentils should be served immediately after preparation. Over time, the lentils will absorb the sour taste of the vinegar, and the dish will become bland.
    4. Classic brown or green lentils are best suited for this dish. Do not use red lentils, as they are easily overcooked. Do not use canned lentils either.
    5. Vinegar is generally added only when the lentils are finally seasoned, not before. White wine vinegar, which does not have a very pungent taste, is best. Always add the vinegar carefully, then stir and taste.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 43shares

    More Main Dishes

    • Pork Patties – Czech Vepřenky
    • Zwiebelrostbraten Recipe
    • Braised Sirloin Steaks – Czech Roštěnky Recipe
    • Chicken Breast Steak with Peach

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Peter

      July 13, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic!!! I served the lentils with kielbasa sausages, pickles and fried onions on top! The instructions were clear and easy to follow. This dish was very comforting and felt very nourishing. I intended it to last for 2 meals for the 2 of us, but it was so good, we ate it all in one sitting!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe, I can’t wait to try more!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        July 14, 2021 at 6:49 am

        Hi Peter, thank you for your kind comment, it made me happy! I'm glad you liked the čočka na kyselo dish, in our family we also enjoy lentils cooked this way. Best wishes, Petra

        Reply
    2. Kat

      October 21, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      I still live in a heavily Czech area, but my family immigrated long enough ago that much of the cooking knowledge was not passed down. It's so great to be able to make Czech food at home now! Thanks so much for this and all your other great recipes. 🙂

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        October 23, 2021 at 5:31 am

        Ahoj Kat, thank you for your lovely comment! I try to publish here classic Czech recipes and occasionally recipes from countries bordering the Czech Republic. Until 1918, the Czech lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, which occupied a significant amount of the European continent. Even so, Czech national cuisine offers many unique dishes, the recipes of which I will gladly share here 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a star rating and review or ask a question! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there, I’m Petra, a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Easy Pork Meatloaf Recipe
    • Chocolate Coffee Cake with Sour Cream Topping
    • Green Beans in Cream Sauce
    • Homemade Dill Pickles (Czech Recipe)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    All Things Czech

    • Czech Recipes
    • Czech Republic
    • Conversions U.S. to metric

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for new recipes, stories and more Czech stuff

    Useful Links

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 CookLikeCzechs.com