German soups rarely grab the headlines, do they? Bratwurst, schnitzel, and beer steal the show while these cozy bowls simmer quietly in the background. I've gathered 15 of my absolute favorite German soup recipes, and trust me, even this small collection covers a ton of delicious ground.
1. Beer Soup
You can pull together this velvety, smooth beer soup in under an hour without breaking a sweat. The taste is rich and warmly spiced, with beer and broth mingling beautifully.
A little brown sugar and crème fraîche bring a whisper of sweet indulgence, and a few ham and cheese gougères on top take it straight into extra yummy territory. Serve it hot for dinner, then enjoy the leftovers cold over bread for breakfast the next morning. It's delicious both ways.
2. Oma’s Beef Noodle Soup
If you're curious about German soups but want something that feels familiar, Oma's beef noodle soup is the perfect place to start. It's loaded with over two pounds of roast beef, generous chunks of carrot, celery, and onion, and tender egg noodles (or any soup friendly pasta you have).
It's hearty, healthy, and absolutely delicious. It's not all that different from a canned beef and vegetable soup, except it tastes a hundred times better.
3. German Cabbage Soup
Figuring out if German cabbage soup is your thing is pretty straightforward: if you adore fried cabbage, you'll adore this. If cabbage isn't your jam, it might be a pass. Sure, there are other ingredients in the mix, but cabbage is the shining star, so fellow cabbage enthusiasts will want to save this one immediately.
4. Bavarian Bread Soup
This soup is thick, creamy, and definitely not keto friendly, but it's off the charts delicious. The flavor runs deep and rich, with layers of onion, beef, garlic, nutmeg, and butter.
What you sprinkle on top isn't just for looks: bread, chives, and other goodies bring crunch, extra texture, and even more flavor. You can skip the side of crackers or bread entirely because it's already built right in.
5. Oma’s Matzo Ball Soup
Matzo ball soup holds a beloved place in Jewish cuisine, and it's found plenty of fans all across Germany too. This version is wonderfully straightforward, ready in under an hour with fewer than ten ingredients. The broth is warm and deeply savory, and those matzo balls are satisfyingly thick and doughy.
6. German Sauerkraut Soup
For a true bite of German cooking, sauerkraut soup is a must. Even if you're not a sauerkraut fan, you could still fall hard for this one.
Unlike the cabbage soup I mentioned earlier, which tastes purely of cabbage, this soup has a much more layered personality. Bacon, onion, tomato paste, garlic, and a whole symphony of herbs and spices come together so beautifully that the sauerkraut almost whispers in the background.
7. Buttermilchsuppe
Buttermilchsuppe is a classic German soup with a whole lot of fans. It's absurdly creamy, blending savory notes from onion, chives, and bacon with the bright tang of lemon juice and buttermilk. The texture is mostly smooth and sippable, so you can enjoy it straight from a mug or with a spoon.
8. German Borscht
German borscht hits that magical sweet, savory, and just a little spicy trifecta all in one bowl. A ham hock joins the party, but the soup itself is mostly a lush vegetable affair with a generous hand on the spices. My favorite way to finish it is with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of scallions, though whole milk, apple cider vinegar, or plain cream make excellent garnishes too.
9. German Wedding Soup
German wedding soup, also called hochzeitssuppe, asks for a fair number of ingredients and a little extra effort. But honestly, it's so wonderful you won't mind pulling everything from your pantry. The mix of fresh vegetables, noodles, and big, juicy meatballs crafted from sausage, ground beef, and breadcrumbs makes it pretty obvious why people fall hard for this one.
10. German Lentil Soup
If you're someone who loves a soup loaded with tiny, hearty bits and pieces, German lentil soup is going to send you over the moon. I'll happily eat any lentil soup, but my partner insists the German version is the absolute best. With lentils, bacon, onion, carrot, celeriac, leeks, potatoes, and more all packed in, it's tough to top.
11. German Goulash Soup
German goulash soup needs around two hours on the stove and brings together stewing beef, onions, potatoes, carrots, peppers, and garlic. The real star, though, is the careful blend of spices.
Without that, it's just a simple beef and vegetable number. You'll stir in sweet and hot Hungarian paprika, marjoram (or sage), parsley, bay leaves, sugar, and a few other things that make it sing.
12. German Onion Soup
Loaded with caramelized onions, juicy German bratwurst, beer, and irresistible croutons made from pretzel rolls, this onion soup leaves all other onion soups in the dust. If you're already smitten with any onion soup (French onion, four onion, kielbasa onion), you'll love this one just as much. While I think most onion soups share a similar cozy flavor, the beer and those pretzel roll croutons push this version a full step ahead for me.
13. German Beer Cheese Soup
This twist on classic beer soup stirs in a generous three cups of sharp cheddar and a few other additions. The result is outrageously creamy and cheesy, but that signature beer flavor still comes through underneath. I'm team beer cheese soup all the way, though I know plenty of people who'd fight for the original version.
14. German Crepe Soup
This one is light, simple, and surprisingly satisfying. You'll need less than ten ingredients to get a bowl on the table.
Swap vegetable broth for the beef broth and it becomes totally vegetarian. Essentially, you have a seasoned broth with delicate ribbons of crepes or pancakes stirred in, giving it a little heft and a lovely, tender chew.
15. German Potato Soup With Sausage
The broth here is on the thin side, but those chunky bites of hearty sausage and tender potatoes more than make up for that. It comes together in under an hour with thick, juicy bratwurst (or whatever German sausage you love), chunks of waxy potatoes, onion, celery, cabbage, and a few bay leaves. On a freezing winter evening, this is the kind of bowl that hugs you from the inside, surprisingly aromatic and so full of flavor.
