German · Authentic-ish German
Eintopf
409 kcal a serving, against 735 for the traditional version. That is 326 kcal off, or 44%, with 35.7g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic Eintopf lands a fair chunk of smoked pork shoulder, sausages (often frankfurter or bratwurst), potatoes, carrots, leeks and plenty of cabbage into a big pot with haricot or cannellini beans. Everything bubbles away so the pork flavours the lot, with a generous spoonful of butter or lard for depth. It ends up rich, smoky and heavy.
What changed, and what each change costs
700g pork shoulder (fat on) and 350g frankfurters to 600g lean pork loin and 0g frankfurters
This stew does not need the fat cap or the sausage. Lean pork loin drops the fat through the floor and keeps the protein high. The frankfurters only exist to make it taste like a smokehouse.
What it costs you. You lose all the smoke and salt that comes from the sausages. The pot also won't be thick with shiny fat. If you truly love porky richness, you'll notice - but the actual meat is far better for you.
Butter out, olive oil in - 50g butter down to 20g olive oil
Butter's classic and gives the vegetables a rounded flavour. A drizzle of olive oil is just to stop things sticking.
What it costs you. The top layer of fat floating over your bowl is gone, as is some of the mellow magic from the butter. The trade: you're not scrubbing a greasy pan after.
Haricot beans 250g dry to 400g tinned cannellini, and potatoes from 400g to 200g
Beans bring plenty of substance - but cooked beans save you hours over dried. Cannellini have a bit more protein than haricot. Cutting the potatoes makes room for more cabbage, and gives you the same bulk with less starch.
What it costs you. The soup is less thick, and you lose some of that potato gloop that clings to your spoon. For me, that's fine - I want a soup, not mashed potato with pork floating in it.
Cabbage up from 400g to 700g, carrot up from 250g to 350g
This is where I cheat. Load the pot with cabbage and carrots to give bulk and sweetness. The stew still feels filling, but the calorie load is far lighter.
What it costs you. You get a vegetable-heavy stew that actually tastes of cabbage. Anyone who hates cabbage should probably avoid this.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 735 | 409 |
| Protein | 44.1g | 35.7g |
| Fat | 36.3g | 11g |
| Saturated fat | 13.1g | 2.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 59.3g | 43.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6g | 8.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish German prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery.
The method is in the book
The main casualty here is the smoky sausage. Without it, the Eintopf is a much cleaner stew, heavy on the cabbage and lighter on the belt. The pork loin isn't as juicy as shoulder, but it's honest and does the job. A bowl of this on a cold night is still proper food - just don't expect a wave of pork fat at the top. That's the trade.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish German, along with 54 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.