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German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

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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 the recipe so you can enjoy those leftovers. As a young German tween in the Stuttgart area, this is the first dish I ever made to serve for company (my Oma and Opa). It was a smash hit then and it has remained a family favorite decades later! It’s a wonderfully nutritious comfort soup with that very traditional German flavor.

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

One of my all-time favorite brothy soups is a classic German potato soup.  I grew up in Stuttgart, Germany cooking with my Bavarian Mutti.  She would give me age-appropriate tasks from the time I was three or four years old and as I got older 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 this brothy German potato soup.

I can still remember the wonderful smell 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 was excited to serve this soup to my family and was thrilled when they all said how much they loved it. My Mutti suggested I make this soup again when my Oma and Opa came over for a visit, which I did. My soup received glowing reviews from them which further bolstered my confidence as a young budding cook. This German potato soup has remained part of my cooking repertoire ever since.

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

Key Ingredients in German Potato Soup

This soup features a few key ingredients that combine to give this soup that characteristic German flavor:

  • Celeriac (aka, celery root) is an essential component of many German soups, including this one, and tastes very different than celery stalk.  It’s part of the standard medley of soup vegetables known as “Suppengrรผn” (translated as “soup greens”) that consists of carrots, celeriac, leek and parsley, the ingredients that, along with bacon, really give soups that “German” flavor.
  • Leek is another must for that characteristic German flavor.

You’ll find Suppengrรผn 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!

  • Bacon also plays a major role here.  Enjoying a bowl of this classic German potato soup without bacon is almost unthinkable!  (We Germans love our bacon, called Rรคucherspeck, almost as much as we love our potatoes.)  In combination with the vegetables it is the perfect marriage of flavors.
  • Potatoes: you’ll want to choose a firm, waxy variety (like Yukon Gold) instead of a starchy variety (like Russets) because the former will hold its shape while retaining a nice buttery texture and flavor instead of completely disentigrating.
  • Quality chicken broth: of course Homemade Chicken Broth is always best for flavor and nutrition, but if you don’t have the time to make it, use the best store-bought chicken broth you can find.
celeriac and leek

Regional Variations

There are many regional versions of potato soup in Germany, each region adding their own unique touch.  But the two general types are either brothy or creamy, and either type can be found throughout every region of Germany.  This version is a classic brothy potato soup (Bunte Kartoffelsuppe, or “colorful potato soup”) that’s packed with healthy, colorful, and flavorful veggies, very much like I made it that first time as a young tween in Germany, and I’m confident you’re going to LOVE it!

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

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.

frying bacon and onions

Add the chicken broth and the herbs.

cooking veggies adding broth

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.

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

Add salt and pepper to taste.

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

Serve and enjoy!

This is a terrific make-ahead soup because the flavor is even better the next day!

german potato soup recipe authentic traditional bacon leek celeriac best swabian brothy

For more delicious German soups and stews be sure to try our:

german potato soup recipe traditional authentic kartoffelsuppe bacon leek celeriac

German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

This delicious, traditional German Potato Soup is packed full of veggies and TONS of flavor – It will satisfy both body and soul!
4.96 from 121 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine German
Servings 6
Calories 327 kcal

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

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 10gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5g
Keyword German Potato Soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 12, 2017

   

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, Iโ€™m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.96 from 121 votes (95 ratings without comment)

115 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. 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! :)

  2. What potato do you recommend, thinking a red potato? Do I peel the skin, looks like yours are skinless but no mention.

    1. 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 :)

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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! :)

  6. 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.

  7. 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?

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. I briefly went through the comments hoping to find my question.

    Do you retain all the bacon fat or grease produced.

  13. 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.

    1. 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!