As the Germans say, The saying, “Eat breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king and dinner like a poor man”. Research shows that among Americans, meal portion sizes are increasing and quality family time around the dinner table is decreasing. To counter these trends, many Americans who have lived in Germany recommend adopting Abendbrot, a unique German tradition of sharing a light and healthful evening meal with your family.
Literally translated, the word Abendbrot means “evening bread,” yet the term implies more than eating bread in the evening – it’s a simple evening meal in which family comes together and shares the day’s news around the table. A traditional Abendbrot meal in Germany is served between 6 and 7 p.m. and consists of breads, cheeses, deli meat, pickles and is often accompanied by a light salad and/or soup. Germans commonly consider it better to eat a larger lunch and a smaller dinner such as this – better for the metabolism and a good night’s sleep. The following recipes may convince you to adopt the German Abendbrot custom!
Red Cabbage Salad with Bavarian Smoked Cheese (Rotkohlsalat mit Räucherkäse)
A colorful salad for the buffet table to be served as a side salad for sliced cold meats or as a vegetarian meal.
Cool Kraut Salad
A red cabbage slaw with a sweet and pungent dressing.
Rustic Tart with Caramelized Onions, Apples & Red Cabbage
A slice of this flavorful tart is perfect as a light evening meal, perhaps with a green salad on the side. With the sweet taste of German red cabbage and apples, plus thyme and good-quality German cheese, this tart uses ready-made dough and requires very little prep time.
Spring Noodle Soup
A fresh new take on Germans’ traditional split pea soup, this quick, flavorful meal can be assembled in just a few minutes with German wide egg noodles and diced prosciutto.
Sauerkraut and Prosciutto Tray Pizza
Discover the versatility of sauerkraut and add a healthy touch to your pizza with the following tasty supper treat. Perfect for those cool fall evenings!
Spargelfest Salad
Many of us forget that Germany has some of the healthiest eating habits in the world. Here is a recipe for “Spargelfest Salad” — a nutritious and delicious dish using products imported from Germany.
Hearty Sauerkraut Quiche
This tart’s pantry ingredients make it an easy part of supper – just add some green salad to make it a meal.
German White Bean and Pea Salad with Prosciutto and Smoked Cheese
This salad is nutritious, colorful, chock full of tasty ingredients, and easy to toss together. Serve it with some German wholegrain crispbread or sunflower seed bread.
Spring Beet Salad
Composed of watercress, beets, soft-ripened German cheese and a light walnut oil vinaigrette, this salad is a nice accompaniment to some dark, heart, whole-grain German bread.
