15 Traditional And Authentic German Soup Recipes

With an array of naturally grown vegetables, Germans have a knack for creating delicious and filling soups. While some of the titles may surprise you (Bread Soup, Beer and Cheese Soup being two notable examples), they should be prepared fresh.

Several soups are also made using meat and beans so they should be considered to be a hearty meal. There is even room for fruit as berry and cherry soups are closer to desserts and served cold. 

Here we will detail 15 traditional and authentic German soup recipes with a bonus section dedicated to cold fruit soups. 

1. German Goulash Soup (Gulaschsuppe)

German Goulash Soup is a decadent beef soup that uses seared beef sirloin cubes, and sautéed onions. A lot of the flavor comes from bay leaves, garlic, marjoram, paprika, caraway seeds, hot paprika, and thyme, with seasoning added too.

Then comes more beef in the form of broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and tamari. Once the beef is tender, season to taste and garnish with fresh parsley. 

2. Bread Soup (Hessische Brotsuppe)

Yes, Bread Soup may sound a little tedious but it is quite the delicacy with hearty white German bread. Fry the cubed bread in butter then pour in beef broth to bring to a boil while whisking.

In a bowl, beat together Allgäuer Emmentaler cheese with cream and egg yolks to blend in with the bread mix. Sprinkle on chopped ham and chives then toast bread cubes to add as a garnish.

3. Beet Soup

For a bright, vividly red soup, create a batch of Beet Soup. Cook onions in butter until golden brown then deglaze your pot with white wine before throwing in vegetable stock and cubed beets.

Season with caraway seeds, salt, and pepper then cook until tender and purée it all until smooth. You can also add a dash of white with crème fraîche or a horseradish yogurt.  

4. Onion Soup (Badische Zwiebelsuppe)

While the French may have mastered Onion Soup, the German take is worth trying too. Cut onions into rings then cook in margarine until translucent then add flour and gradually add hot water to cook until the onion softens up.

Add a mix of egg yolk and heavy whipping cream to thicken the mixture then season to taste. Roast some toast in butter until golden brown, chop into cubes and use as a garnish.

5. Split Pea And Sausage Soup

Germans also do love their sausages so you should expect them to feature in their soups too. Split Pea and Sausage Soup is a classic example and is almost like the German version of Ham and Pea Soup.

Start by soaking split green peas overnight then rinsing them and setting them aside. Meanwhile, fry bacon until the fat begins to run then add chopped onion and potato to fry until softened.

Add the split green peas, chicken broth, marjoram, and pepper then bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes then cover the pan partially and simmer while stirring occasionally.

Cook until thickened and the peas have softened then you can partially blend it for a smoother texture. Garnish with a Frankfurter and some chopped parsley. 

6. Buttermilk Soup (Buttermilchsuppe)

Few soups are as creamy and rich as German Buttermilk Soup. With cooked bacon and raisins for an interesting flavor, the bulk of the soup comes from chopped leek, potatoes, and carrots.

The liquid is the star of the show as white wine is added to add a richness with vegetable broth before the crucial buttermilk is added just before serving to lighten it up.

7. German Crêpe Soup (Flädlesuppe)

For a filling soup, look no further than Flädlesuppe. A lot of the bulk comes from thin strips of pancake made from milk, eggs, salt, and nutmeg then fried until lightly golden.

Divide the strips between bowls then create the soup by heating up broth (beef or vegetable) and then pouring over the fresh pancake strips. Garnish each bowl with chopped, fresh herbs and serve immediately. 

8. Beer Soup (Biersuppe)

Of course, Germans love beer too so it should not come as much of a surprise that they have incorporated it into their soups. To make a batch of Biersuppe, start by creating gougères which are a savory ham and cheese-filled choux pastry.

As the gougères are cooking, cook the shallots in butter then add breadcrumbs, salt, and the beer. 

Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer, then add chicken broth, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and reheat while stirring in crème fraîche and topping with the gougères.

9. German Beer Cheese Soup

Beer and cheese combine in this creamy, earthy decadent soup which tastes a lot more straightforward than the title may suggest. Like a lot of German soups, this one uses cooked bacon and the rendered fat to cook with onions and garlic.

Carrots are also fried until soft then flour is added and cooked until it turns golden brown. 

For the creamy texture, add whole milk but as this is a soup you will need chicken broth too. Whisk both liquids in with the beer then add ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Gradually add shredded cheese and half of the crumbled bacon. When serving, garnish with sliced green onion, French-fried onions, and the rest of the crumbled bacon.

10. German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

A Potato Soup sounds traditional and authentic in pretty much any culture. In Germany, bacon is fried then chopped onion and garlic are sautéed in the bacon fat.

Chopped potatoes, leek, carrots, celeriac, and tomatoes are added with dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sea salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf.

Chicken broth is poured in then the mixture is brought to a boil and simmered then garnished with chopped parsley though you could add a chopped Bratwurst too.

11. German Chicken Noodles Soup (Nudelsuppe)

While Chicken Noodles Soup may sound Asian, this is still a German recipe. Create your own chicken stock from scratch by covering a whole chicken with water in a large pot, bringing to a boil with salt, pepper, celery, onion, carrots, and parsnips.

Cook until the chicken is tender then remove the meat and strain the liquid out to return to the pot. 

Add sliced celery, carrots, and onion to bring to a boil then simmer until the vegetables are tender then add egg noodles. Once the noodles are tender add the chicken meat, season with salt and pepper then garnish with some chopped parsley. 

12. German Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe)

Linsensuppe is one of few German soups that use meat and tomatoes yet remains strictly German. First, lamb chops are cooked in a casserole dish until browned and set aside.

Add diced Russet potatoes, garlic, diced red bell peppers, carrots, onion, and celery rib to cook while stirring. 

Return the lamb chops to the casserole dish with a can of crushed Italian tomatoes, rinsed brown lentils, chicken broth, and chopped parsley.

Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper then simmer until the lentils are tender and chop up the lamb chops to add the meat to the mixture.

13. German Cabbage Soup (Kohlsuppe)

With waxy potatoes, white cabbages, celery roots, carrots, and a leek, you should expect a bowl of German Cabbage Soup to be chunky. It should also be flavorful as it involves mustard, sweet paprika powder, ground cumin, and lemon juice too. 

14. Sweet And Sour German Red Cabbage Soup

To create this soup that is packed full of flavor, cook bacon until crisp in olive oil then remove the meat while leaving the fat. Add finely chopped onions, carrots, and apples with caraway seeds, then wilt thin slices of red cabbage.

Create a sachet with a cheesecloth and fill it with juniper berries, bay leaves, cloves, orange rind, and a cinnamon stick, then tie it to the side of the pot to drop in like a teabag.

Add the wilted cabbage with cider vinegar, brown sugar, chicken broth, and water to bring to a boil then simmer until thick, and return the bacon bits. 

15. German Bean Soup (Bohnensuppe)

You can rely on white beans, green beans, carrots, parsley root, and a red potato to create a chunky soup. Bohnensuppe also features celery root, cooked bacon, and leek for a soup where you should get a lot of your five a day.

For flavoring, crumble in some marjoram and thyme while allowing a bay leaf to infuse.

Bonus Section: Cold Fruit Soups

One interesting facet of German cuisine is its cold fruit soups which tend to include cherries but can also include berries. These include Chilled Black Cherry Soup, Cherry Soup With Cream Of Wheat Dumplings, and Chilled Fruit Soup.

1. Chilled Black Cherry Soup With Asbach Uralt And Crème Fraîche

Prepare the cherries by removing the pits and stems but keep them by the side. Crush half of the cherry pits and keep them in a freezer bag.

Combine the crushed cherry pits with the whole pits, fruity white wine, cherry stems, a cinnamon stick, sugar, water, lemon peel, and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a large pan.

Bring the mixture to a boil then cover and simmer before removing it from the heat. 

Strain the liquid then return the liquid straight back to the pan before stirring in crème fraîche and most of the cherries. Simmer and whisk occasionally then blitz until smooth and refrigerate until cool.

Finally, whisk in the Asbach Uralt then chill until serving time. 

2. Cherry Soup With Cream Of Wheat Dumplings (Kirshsuppe Mit Griessklosschen)

Kirshsuppe is a cold, delicious soup made with Morello cherries which are boiled with water, sugar, a vanilla pod, and a cinnamon stick.

The dumplings are a treat too and are made from milk, lemon zest, and sugar brought to a boil with cream of wheat then combined with egg yolks. Cook the dumplings in the soup then allow the mixture to cool down completely.

3. Chilled Fruit Soup (Kaltschale)

You can use a veritable mix of cherries and berries in this Chilled Fruit Soup. Granted, this does seem more like a dessert than something to prepare on a cold winter’s day but it is delicious.

Combine sugar, water, vanilla extract, Tapioca pearls, and a cinnamon stick in a  soup pot then bring it up to a boil then simmer while stirring.

Add your fruit, bring it back up to a boil, simmer, add lemon juice, then let the soup cool down completely. 

Final Thoughts

It may be surprising just how varied the range of German soups is. From chilled fruit soups to Chicken Noodles Soup and even one using pancakes.

What should not come as much of a surprise is just how hearty they are as bulky vegetables such as celeriac and potatoes are widely used. Germans have even found room for incorporating beer and sausages into their soups too.

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