German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

I’ve partnered with Aneto, my favorite broth manufacturer, to bring you this post.

One of my all-time favorite brothy soups is a classic German potato soup.  I grew up in Stuttgart, Germany cooking with my Bavarian mother on a regular basis.  She would give me age-appropriate tasks from the time I was three or four years old and once I was a teenager I started exploring recipes on my own and preparing meals without supervision.  I remember two of the very first dishes I made by myself was a Winter vegetable cobbler and a brothy German potato soup.

I can still remember the aroma that filled our family kitchen from the bacon, caramelized onions and leek as the soup simmered, announcing the promise of a delicious meal ahead.  I received glowing reviews from my Oma and Opa when my mom suggested I make that same soup for them at our next visit.  They loved it and my confidence was bolstered. From there I continued falling deeper and deeper in love with cooking.

This soup features several key ingredients that combine to make a characteristic German-flavored soup.

Celeriac (aka, celery root) is an essential component of many German soups.  It’s part of the standard medley of soup vegetables known as “Suppengrün” (translated as “soup greens”) that consists of carrots, celeriac, leek and parsley, the ingredients that, along with bacon, really give soups that “German” flavor.

You’ll find Suppengrün called for in many German soup recipes and to omit any of them does the flavor of the soup a major injustice.  If you haven’t cooked much with leek or celeriac, once you taste them in this soup you’ll understand – they’re delicious!

Aside from the Suppengrün, bacon plays a major role.  Enjoying a bowl of this classic German potato soup without bacon is almost unthinkable!  (We love our bacon.)  In combination with the vegetables it is the perfect marriage of flavors.

Lastly, quality chicken broth is a must.  Ever since I first tasted Aneto’s all-natural chicken broth a few years ago, it has remained my favorite and top recommended brand of broth.  Why?  Because Aneto is the ONLY broth manufacturer that makes broth the way we do at home:  The freshest ingredients slow-simmered for hours in a large pot (only theirs is gigantic).  No fillers, no artificial or “natural” flavors, no “condensed” this or that, no powders – just pure, whole vegetables and real chicken made into a wonderful broth you can feel good about eating.

After tasting it I was already sold, but after the opportunity my husband and I had of touring Aneto’s factory last Summer when we were in Barcelona, Spain, I was convinced beyond doubt.

READ ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE AT ANETO’S FACTORY IN SPAIN.  YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

Click HERE for a list of U.S. store locations carrying Aneto broths.  You’ll also find them on Amazon.

Now on to making that delicious German soup!

There are many regional versions of potato soup in Germany, each region adding their own unique touch.  But the two general types of potato soup are either brothy or creamy.  This version is a classic brothy potato soup and I’m confident you’re going to LOVE it!

Let’s get started!

Fry the bacon, then add the onions and cook until golden, 6-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the vegetables.

Add the chicken broth and the herbs.

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30-40 minutes.

Add the parsley and simmer for another minute.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

This is a great make-ahead soup as the flavor is even better the next day!

Thank you to Aneto for sponsoring this post and to my readers for supporting the brands who help make The Daring Gourmet possible!