This German potato soup recipe is loaded with healthy veggies, savory bacon, and is absolutely JAM-PACKED with FLAVOR! And that flavor is ever better the next day so be sure to double recipe for leftovers!
One of my all-time favorite brothy soups is a classic German potato soup. Â I grew up in Stuttgart, Germany cooking with my Bavarian mother on a regular basis. Â 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. Â 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. Â I received glowing reviews from my Oma and Opa when my mom suggested I make that same soup for them at our next visit. Â They loved it and my confidence was bolstered. From there I continued falling deeper and deeper in love with cooking.
Key Ingredients for German Potato Soup
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. Â Ever since I first tasted Aneto’s 100% all-natural chicken broth a few years ago, it has remained my favorite and top recommended brand of broth. Â Why? Â Because Aneto is the ONLY broth manufacturer that makes broth the way we do at home: Â The freshest ingredients slow-simmered for hours in a large pot (only theirs is gigantic). Â 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 in Barcelona, Spain, I was convinced beyond doubt.
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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!
German Potato Soup Recipe
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!
For more delicious German soups be sure to try our:
German Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon ,diced
- 1 large onion ,chopped
- 1 clove garlic ,minced
- 2 pounds waxy potatoes ,chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 large leek ,sliced and thoroughly washed
- 3 carrots ,diced
- 1 1/2 cups diced celeriac (aka, celery root)
- 2 tomatoes ,diced
- 6 cups quality chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Fry the bacon then add the onion and cook until golden, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring 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.
- Note: This is a great make-ahead soup as the flavor is even better the next day!
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 12, 2017
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Jim D says
Your recipes, explanations and photos are par excellence’. I have tried many over the years and have never been disappointed. I can’t imagine all the work it takes to present it as you do. My only regret is that I have never been able to make sausage. You have all the equipment and your recipes looked great. Alas, I just buy it at the grocery. Years ago I was in Germany for a couple months and fell in love with their food, especially sausages and bier.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much for the compliment, Jim D, I appreciate it! Honestly, I wish I didn’t have to make my own German sausages because it’s a lot of work! If I had access to authentic German sausages I probably wouldn’t bother making my own, at least not very often :) I’m so glad you had the opportunity to spend time in Germany and dive into the food. I agree, I’m fully in love with it too! :)
Amanda says
What potato do you recommend, thinking a red potato? Do I peel the skin, looks like yours are skinless but no mention.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Amanda, it depends on the result you prefer: Starchy potatoes like Russets will soak up the liquid and disintegrate, naturally thickening the soup and creating a more creamy texture while waxier potatoes like Yukon golds and red potatoes will hold their shape. It’s entirely a matter of personal preference. For a soup like this I prefer a starchy potato like Russet. As for peels, they tend to loosen and come off during cooking and then you have pieces of peel in the soup. I usually peel my potatoes for soups (looks prettier) but leave them on for things like mashed potatoes because the peels are where a lot of the nutrition is :)
Evelyn Alebord says
I want to make this soup for my german boyfriend but I cant find the dried or any kind of marjoram at any of my stores in massachusettes even Aldis which 90% of their products are german is there a close substitute that I can use wanted to surprise him this weekend while he was at work any suggestions? That won’t take away from the soup he always talks about his grandmothers when he was younger and would eat at her house when they lived in germany. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Evelyn, it’s not quite the same but you can substitute oregano. Happy cooking and please let us know what you and your boyfriend think! :)
Nicole says
This recipe was fantastic, absolutely loved it. The celery root gives the flavour my grandma’s soups always had – I could never figure out why my soups were lacking.. now I know! Highly recommend to anyone to try this, super easy and the flavour is delicious.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Nicole, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Kim says
Hi Kimberly, I am so happy you shared this recipe! I’ve been trying out new soup recipes every weekend, so I’m adding this one to the list. It looks superb! :)
Lindsey says
This is a new family favorite! I love all the vegetables with the bacon. A delicious, feel good soup, especially on cold days or when you’re not feeling well.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Lindsey, I’m happy it was a family hit!
Jennifer says
Smells amazing! Tastes great! Brings back memories of traveling in Bavaria. This preparation is easy. (I’m no chef.) I had to sub celery for the celeriac but still fabulous. The recipe makes a lot and I’ll have to store some long-term. I’m curious how well it freezes/thaws. Any suggestions?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Jennifer, thank you! It’s generally not recommended freezing soups with potatoes because they become dry and grainy when thawed.
Tony says
Hi Kimberley,
Yet another recipe of yours that we have tried tonight, and it was delicious. Very hearty and very filling with lots of French bread.
We will most definitely make it again. Great on a cold winter evening.
Amy says
I live in a small rural town and my grocery had celeriac! It gave such a depth of flavor to this soup. My whole family loved it. I took some to my ailing elderly parents and they loved it. Such an authentic, comforting recipe. Thank you Kimberly; you never disappoint.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Amy! <3
Tara says
Wow! This was so much more than I expected! Super simple to make, used same ingredients except different brand of broth. I am not a soup person but this so so full of flavor. My whole family enjoyed it. Served with croissants, an easy weeknight meal.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Tara, I’m so happy it was a family hit, thank you so much!
PeteM says
Have a small complaint. It took me an hour to prepare, not the 15 mins stated. However, it was all worth it. I have never tasted a soup where you can taste all the flavour of the ingredients,especially the herbs. I used diced celery stalks instead of the root and it worked out fine. Great recipe! I lived in Germany for a total of 7 yrs while in HM Forces and loved their food but had never tasted their potato soup before.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, PeteM, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! The 15 minutes noted is for “prep time” only (that’s for chopping the veggies and putting the ingredients in the pot) and that doesn’t include the cooking time.
Mathew says
I briefly went through the comments hoping to find my question.
Do you retain all the bacon fat or grease produced.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mathew, that’s completely up to you and is just a matter of personal preference. I personally keep it for the flavor.
Bob & Jan says
Hi Kimberly, this soup does should very good, and I will make a pot of it to try soon.
I am just a little confused with all the vegetables in a potato soup, The reason I say this is on one of our many trips to Bavaria , and the Tirol area my wife and I were on a potato soup kick on time, and tried it everywhere we stoped for a meal and none of them were vegetable based. I will admit I was confused when I tried to make it when we got back to the States, until I found a German cook book and saw the magic ingredient , Celeriac, no grocery stores knew what it was back then! Now its in every produce section as celery root.
Do you have a recipe for a Potato soup as I remember from our wonderful travel in the Tirol region , I’m always looking for the OMG, this is it !!!, recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bob and Jan, yes there are many different variations of potato soup in Germany depending on the region. There are broth-based versions like this one that include other veggies (i.e. a kartoffel “eintopf”), ones that are pureed and creamy, ones that include sausages, etc. I couldn’t guess which particular one you had during your travels I’m afraid, but I can tell you it most likely still had leek, celeriac, and parsley in it – those are three key ingredients in many great German soups, especially potato-based ones!
Anonymous says
I just made this last night, delicious
Anonymous says
how much will this yield?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It makes 6 servings. How much this soup yields in total weight or cups, I don’t know.