German Potato Soup | Kartoffelsuppe
This German potato soup (Kartoffelsuppe) is the soup I remember eating at my grandparents’ house in Germany. They made it fairly often, and theirs was the frugal, everyday kind: just the vegetables simmered into a simple soup for lunch. No bacon, no sausage, nothing fancy.
When they had company, that same humble soup came to the table in a Suppenterrine, a special soup tureen just for serving. That’s still how I think of Kartoffelsuppe: an everyday soup that’s good enough for guests.
My version is a little more modern: I turned it into a hearty weeknight dinner with crispy bacon, German frankfurters, a spoonful of mustard, and a little sour cream. It’s still frugal, quick, and easy, and it uses whatever you have. If you’re missing one of the vegetables, just leave it out or swap in another one.
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What makes this German Potato Soup special
Potato Soup Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes: You can use waxy potatoes, but I love starchy potatoes because they make the soup creamier.
- Carrots, leeks, and onion: The heart of the soup.
- Parsnips: The traditional German recipe uses parsley root, which is hard to find in the US. Parsnips are my stand-in.
- Bouillon: This is for flavor, and I love using this bouillon concentrate. Use the vegetable one if you want a vegetarian soup.
- Bacon: I fry it first. It gives me the fat for sautéing, and the bacon turns crispy instead of soft and fatty.
- Frankfurters: Wieners, frankfurters, whatever you call them. I like to use a German brand to keep it a traditional German recipe. However, you can use any sausage you like such as chicken or smoked sausages.
- Mustard and sour cream: A little mustard for flavor, and sour cream stirred in at the very end for some creaminess.
- Garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper: These are for seasoning.
- Fresh parsley (optional): For a pop of color, some vitamins, and to make the soup stand out a little.
A note on Suppengrün: Germans like to use Suppengrün for soups like this, a little bundle of soup vegetables that usually includes carrot, leek, celery root, and parsley. If you’d like to add celery root and can’t find it, regular stalk celery works absolutely fine.
Helpful Tools
These are the tools I love to reach for when I make this soup.
👉 Anja’s Tips For Success
- Fry the bacon first. You get the fat for sautéing, and if you take some of the bacon out and set it aside, it stays crispy for the topping.
- For a deeper flavor, sauté the vegetables in the fat for a few minutes before adding the water. This step is optional.
- Just barely cover the vegetables with water. That keeps the soup hearty and substantial.
- Use starchy potatoes for a creamier soup. Leftovers get a little creamier the longer they sit.
Pick your texture: Leave the soup chunky, blend it completely smooth with an immersion blender, or do what I do: mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher and leave some chunks for chewiness.
How To Make This Potato Soup
⭐️ This is a summary of the steps involved. For the complete instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fry the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven until crispy. If you want crispy bacon for the topping, take some out and set it aside.
- Sauté the diced onion in the bacon fat with the remaining bacon bits, then add the leeks.
- Add the chopped carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. If you like, sauté them in the fat for a few minutes to bring out their flavor.
- Add the bay leaf. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the vegetables and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Stir in the mustard and mash some of the potatoes if you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the sour cream. Cut the frankfurters into small pieces and heat them in the soup. Serve topped with the crispy bacon and fresh parsley.
How To Serve Kartoffelsuppe
This soup is sturdy, hearty, and substantial enough to be dinner on its own. If you’re making a traditional German meal, serve a green salad on the side and a nice dessert afterward.
If you like bread with your soup, a crusty bread or a sourdough baguette is perfect on the side.
Right before serving, sprinkle the crispy bacon you set aside over each bowl, plus some chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color. And if you have guests coming, do it the way my grandparents did and bring it to the table in a soup tureen.
Can You Make German Potato Soup Ahead Of Time?
Yes. Kartoffelsuppe keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead. If you use starchy potatoes, the soup just gets a little creamier and thicker over time. You can always add a splash of water if you like it soupier. Keep the crispy bacon separate and sprinkle it on when you serve, so it stays crispy.
How Long Does This Soup Last?
Store leftover potato soup covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months but I recommend adding the sour cream after you thaw it. Also, note that starchy potatoes can become a bit mealy.
Can You Make This Potato Soup Vegetarian?
Absolutely. Simply leave out the bacon and frankfurters, sauté the onions and leeks in a couple of tablespoons of butter (or neutral cooking oil), and use vegetable bouillon.
German Potato Soup | Kartoffelsuppe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 4 oz bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium leek
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 small parsnip
- 1 medium celery root
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart bouillon
- 1 tsp mustard
- 4 oz sour cream
- 1 ts salt pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped, fresh, optional
- 6 oz Wiener sausages
Instructions
- In a medium pot, sautee the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.
- Peel and dice the onions. Add them to the bacon fat and sautee them until translucent.
- Peel and dice the leek, garlic clove, carrots, parsnip, and celery root. Add them to the pot and sautee them for a few minutes.
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Add them to the vegetables, add the bay leaf, mustard, and bouillon.
- Over medium heat, bring the soup to a gentle boil. Cook until all the vegetables are soft.
- Cut the sausages into bite size, add them to the pot, and let them heat up.
- Turn off the heat, add the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the soup to individual serving bowls and sprinkle each with some bacon and chopped parsley.
Notes
- feel free to use omit or whatever vegetables you have
- if you can’t find root celery, you can substitute with celery stalks
Nutrition
More German Recipes You Might Like
Potatoes show up in so much German home cooking, and getting the texture right really matters. If you’re ever unsure how long to cook them, my guide on how to boil potatoes walks you through it step by step. And if you have starchy potatoes left over after making this soup, try my German Schupfnudeln. They’re little potato noodles, pan-fried in butter until golden, and so good.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
