German Onion Soup has plenty of caramelized onions, beer, bratwurst and pretzel roll croutons which will soon become a family favorite! Surprise! I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming.
I first made this German-inspired soup a few years ago when I started in my kitchen making traditional French onion soup, but before I knew it I had veered off course and decided to travel to Germany instead.
The result was something unique and totally delicious! German Sausage Onion Soup is a hearty favorite made with bratwurst, beer, lots of caramelized onions, and topped with crispy pretzel roll croutons.
The following video is another of my Kudos Kitchen German-inspired recipes I know you’ll also enjoy!
**Please Note – The printable recipe card with detailed instructions and complete ingredient measurements for making German Onion Soup is available near the end of this post.
Jump to Recipe
The ingredient list for German onion soup;
- bratwurst
- onions
- beer
- pretzel rolls
- butter
- olive oil
- flour
- beef stock
- brown sugar
- bay leaves
- nutmeg
- Swiss Cheese
Today’s recipe post for German soup featuring German sausage is a recipe re-do from one I shared back in 2013.
Since I wanted to update the post, I also decided to update the photos, and the croutons from rye to pretzel roll.
The result is every bit as tasty as what I shared back in 2013 and one I know your entire family will enjoy! It always gets two thumbs up from anyone who’s tried it.
Can this soup be frozen?
YES!
Store it well in a freezer-safe container (without the croutons) for up to 6 months.
Thaw the soup completely before reheating.
Do I have to use beer to make this soup?
No, but it does add to the flavor.
If you’re concerned about the alcohol involvement, why not consider using a non-alcoholic beer?
Or, you can substitute extra beef stock in place of the beer, or what about a dry white wine? Those are also great options in place of the beer.
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The instructions for making German Onion Soup;
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil and butter.
- Meanwhile cut 2-3 pretzel rolls into 1″ cubes.
- Add the cubes to the pot, stir well and cook until well browned.
- Once the croutons are well browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Add the bratwurst to the pan over brown well over medium/high heat.
- Once brown, remove the sausage and set aside.
- Add more olive oil to the pan along with 4-5 chopped, sweet onions.
- Cook the onions in the pan over medium heat with salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until cooked down and caramelized (about 15 minutes).
- Once the onions are caramelized, add 3 tablespoons of flour and stir well to combine.
- Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 12 ounces of beer to the cooked and caramelized onions and flour, along with 4 cups beef stock, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 3 bay leaves.
- Grate fresh nutmeg into the pot and return the browned sausage to the soup.
- Stir well and simmer for at least 20 minutes before serving and removing the bay leaves.
- To serve, top each portion of soup with pretzel roll croutons and a sprinkling of Swiss cheese. Enjoy!
**The following affiliate links are some suggested products I think you’ll also enjoy.
For additional German-inspired recipes, please click on the following titles for:
*Bratwurst Bites (pictured below, and video included) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
*German Potato Dumplings from Masala Herb
*German Plum Cake (Pflaumenkuchen) from Little Sunny Kitchen
*German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) – (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
*Braised Red Cabbage from West Via Midwest
*German Cucumber Salad from Turning Back the Clock
*Knockwurst Sandwich with Sauerkraut and Munster Cheese – (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
*Instant Pot Sauerkraut from My Sequined Life
*German Potato Soup from Food and Journeys
*Slow Cooker Pork Ribs and Sauerkraut – (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
*German Potato Pancakes from Masala Herb
*German Red Wine and Chocolate Cake from Food and Journeys
*German Spaetzle Casserole with Cheese and Crispy Onions – (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
*German Onion Soup with Beer, Bratwurst, and Pretzel Roll Croutons – (pictured below) This is the place!!
Below is the printable recipe card along with the nutritional information for German Onion Soup with Beer, Bratwurst and Pretzel Roll Croutons.
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe and look forward to making it (or have already made it), I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment to give it some feedback by way of stars near the comment section at the end of this post. Thank you so much!
- 3 pretzel rolls cut into 1″ cubes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound bratwurst casings removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4-5 large sweet onions chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 12 ounces beer
- 4 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2-3 large bay leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4-5 ounces Swiss cheese shredded
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In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
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Add the pretzel cubes and cook, stirring frequently until golden and crunchy. *Note – watch the croutons closely as they burn quickly.
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Remove the browned croutons and set aside.
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Add the prepared bratwurst to the pan and increase the heat to medium/high. Brown the sausage, stirring occasionally until browned well on all sides.
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Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
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Add the remaining olive oil and butter to the stockpot along with the chopped onions.
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Stir well and add the salt and pepper.
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Continue cooking and stirring the onions occasionally until the onions are golden in color and reduced in volume (approximately 12-15 minutes).
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Add the flour to the caramelized onion and cook, stirring well for 1-2 minutes.
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Slowly add the beer and beef stock to the pot.
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Stir in the brown sugar, bay leaves, and grated nutmeg.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the browned bratwurst back to the pot.
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Stir well and simmer for at least 15 minutes, longer if you have the time.
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Remove the bay leaves.
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Serve the German Onion Soup topped with the pretzel croutons and the shredded Swiss cheese.
Tools and equipment:
serrated knife (for cutting pretzel rolls), chef’s knife (for cutting onions), cutting board, large stockpot, wooden spoon, microplane (for grating nutmeg), measuring spoons
Thank you so much for visiting me here in my Kudos Kitchen!!
I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed today’s recipe for German onion beer soup with sausage as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this recipe or anything else you’ve seen on my site, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or leave me a comment in the comment section below. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back to you with a reply just as soon as I possibly can!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
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Such a yummy twist on French Onion Soup! I love the addition of bratwurst…so hearty and delicious!
Thanks so much Liz!
Now THIS is my kinda soup. I have been looking forward to seeing what went in this soup since I saw your title! And it totally lives up to the hype!
LOL. Didn't know there was any hype but that makes me laugh. It's a recipe I concocted on night on a whim when I was originally going to make French onion soup but veered off course 🙂
YUM!!!! I'm saving this one to make for the fam!
I hope you do Connie. It's one my family truly enjoys! Please let me know how you like it when you do.
Brilliant idea, Renee! As much as I love French Onion Soup, I'm 100% sure I'd love German Onion Soup even more! Brats…rye…swiss…sigh. I'm SO making this soon.
I know, right? What's not to love? Glad you like it Heather. Hope you'll try and let me know what you think.
Fantastic idea. My husband would LOVE this!!
My husband sure does. It's husband friendly 🙂
Oh, man! Onion soup with sausage and beer? I am in! Pinning this on my Recipes to Try board! What a great variation on the traditional French onion soup, Renee!
Thanks Stacy! Glad you like it 🙂
Never heard of this before but it's right up my alley!
I came up with the idea one night when I was planning on making French onion soup. As much as I love it, I wanted to play around with the flavors and ingredients and see what happened. It totally worked and I've been making it ever since. Glad you like it Dorothy!
What a great idea and perfect for Oktoberfest!! Love it!!
Thank you Tara!
This looks yummy, I'll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Rye croutons!! Love that idea!
So hearty and rich. I love the addition of bratwurst and rye croutons! Thank you for sharing!
Is the Oktoberfest painting by you? I love it! I will have to check out your gallery….
Whoa! My stepfamily would go NUTS for this
This soup is perfect for an Oktoberfest celebration! love it!
Wow…what a fabulous soup in all the wonderful ingredients in. Great recipe!
Boy does this sound good–I love the idea of putting a twist on French Onion–can't wait to try it!
This soup is all the best flavors of Oktoberfest in one yummy bowl! It’s a favorite for me, nom nom nom.
That’s good to hear. It’s a favorite of ours too! Thanks!!
German Oktoberfest is one of my fav times of the year! I am excited to try this yummy soup!!!
Ours, too. I know you’re going to love this soup. Enjoy!!
The flavor of this soup is out of this world good! So cozy and delicious! Planning on making it all winter long!
I think that’s a great idea, Rebecca! Yay!!
This looks outstanding we just love German food, this is over the top! Love the pretzel in this too. So comforting!
Thank you, Claudia! It really is a fabulous soup. I’m glad you think so too.
I can see how this soup will be a hit at home! Time to take out the Brezn and Laugenstangerl. 😀
Thanks, Helene! Whatever you say. LOL
This recipe is going to be fabulous. I can tell by just reading it. I will try it tomorrow.
The print button does not work on the Pinterest site. I’ll try Facebook. Perhaps I can print it from there.
Yum! I can’t wait to try this.
Hi, Janis!
I do hope you can print the recipe. It’s one of my absolute favorites and I know you’re going to love is as well.
Enjoy, and thanks so much for visiting. 🙂
Renee