Cheesy & Rich Reuben Soup

Cheesy reuben soup is the deli sandwich gone full comfort food. Diced corned beef, drained sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and a buttery roux base. Every flavor of a classic Reuben in spoonable form.

The roux is the foundation. Equal parts butter and flour cooked together until pale gold gives the soup body without flour clumps. Cream and milk go in next, slowly, while you stir to keep the texture silky. Once the soup thickens, the Swiss cheese melts in for that pull-apart stretch.

The sauerkraut and corned beef get folded in at the end, just enough to warm through. Cooking them too long tames the sauerkraut’s tang, which is the whole point of a Reuben.

Pro Tips

• Drain the sauerkraut well but don’t rinse it. Rinsing strips the lactic acid that gives a Reuben its bite.
• Use full-fat cream and whole milk. Lower-fat versions break under the heat and acidity, leaving the soup grainy.
• Grate the Swiss cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese coated in anti-caking agents melts unevenly.
• Cook the roux to blonde, not brown. Dark roux loses its thickening power and adds a nutty flavor that doesn’t fit here.

Variations

• Swirl in 2 tablespoons of Russian or Thousand Island dressing at serving for the full Reuben profile.
• Top each bowl with rye croutons or buttered rye bread cubes for the sandwich-bread element.
• Use Gruyère instead of Swiss for a more complex, nutty cheese flavor.