Kartoffelsuppe: Easy German Potato Soup Recipe

Each country has its own soup specialties that make use of the available produce that is readily available and reflects the culture. In Germany, one of the most popular soups is kartoffelsuppe, which is a thick and creamy potato soup.

According to Taste Atlas, this soup comes from the Baden region of Germany, and it is traditionally served at harvest time accompanied by plum cake.

There are variations of this German soup in different regions of the country. However, the main ingredient of kartoffelsuppe is always potatoes. Most variations also include celery, onion, milk, and butter. Some versions have a crispy bacon topping, and other variations come with croutons, chives, parsley or steamed dumplings.

Here is an easy kartoffelsuppe recipe to make the traditional German potato soup.

Ingredients for Kartoffelsuppe

• 1 kg white potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 slices of streaky smoked bacon
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 1-litre chicken broth
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Parsley to garnish

How to Make Kartoffelsuppe

1. Add the olive oil to a large pan and put over medium heat on the hob.
2. Then, add the streaky bacon and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the fat is golden and crispy.
3. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the butter to the pan along with the diced potatoes, carrots, and celery.
5. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are beginning to soften.
6. Add the chicken stock and cook for another 10 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
7. Either blitz the soup using a hand blender or transfer to a food processor to puree before returning to the pan.
8. Season the soup with salt and pepper, then stir in the double cream.
9. Leave the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, use scissors to snip the streaky bacon into pieces.
11. Serve the soup into bowls and top with the chopped streaky bacon and some fresh parsley.

Additional Tips

• An alternative to bacon as a topping for your kartoffelsuppe is chopped German sausage.
• Reduce the calories by replacing the double cream with semi-skinned milk and omitting the butter.
• To make a vegetarian version of this soup, omit the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
• If you like this kartoffelsuppe soup recipe, you might also like our leek and potato soup recipe.