Kartoffelsuppe (Potato Soup)
Submitted by pat59
Kartoffelsuppe is the German farmhouse potato soup: sliced potatoes, onion, and celery sauteed then simmered until tender, mashed back into their own broth and finished with milk and butter. Rustic, ribbon-thick, comfort in a bowl.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minKartoffelsuppe is the potato soup of German country kitchens, where leftover spuds and a bit of celery turn into supper. The technique is more clever than complicated: cook the vegetables, save the liquid, mash everything into the broth, and you’ve got a creamy soup without a drop of cream.
The brief saute in hot oil before boiling matters more than it sounds. Three to five minutes of golden-edge cooking caramelizes the onions and develops a deeper flavor base than a straight boil could ever produce.
Use floury potatoes like russets or Yukon golds. Waxy varieties resist mashing and leave a chunky soup. The mash-into-the-stock step is what creates the silky body, so the potato variety matters.
The milk goes in at the end, off the boil. German cooks know dairy curdles in seconds against high heat, leaving you with grainy, broken soup. Warm it through gently, ladle into bowls, and finish with chopped parsley for color.
Pro Tips
- Reserve more cooking water than you think you need. The soup thickens dramatically as it cools.
- For a smokier, deeper version, add a quarter cup of diced bacon to the saute before the vegetables.
- A pinch of fresh nutmeg or white pepper is the traditional German finishing touch.
- Leftovers thicken in the fridge. Loosen with a splash of milk or stock when reheating.
Variations
- Add a leek or two with the onion for a richer aromatic base.
- Stir in a handful of grated sharp cheddar or Gruyère off the heat for a cheesy variation.
- Top with crispy fried bacon and chives for a substantial main-course soup.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel and thinly slice potatoes, onion and celery.
Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes in hot vegetable oil.
In a large pot, add all of the vegetables and cover with just enough boiling water to cover.
Place bay leaf and salt in pot and boil vegetables until tender.
Drain vegetables and reserve liquid.
Mash vegetables into vegetable stock; add butter.
Thin soup with milk as desired; heat until warm.
(DO NOT boil).
Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
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