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 Onion Soup is a hearty favorite made with bratwurst, beer, lots of caramelized onions, and topped with crispy pretzel roll croutons. It always gets two thumbs up from anyone who’s tried it.
Today’s recipe post for German Onion Soup 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!
Here’s what I wrote about German Onion Soup back in 2013, warts and all;
You’ll also notice that this recipe calls for Swiss Cheese and not a German cheese because Swiss cheese is my favorite and can easily be found in any grocery store. German cheese…not so much. Since the two countries are friendly next door neighbors, I felt very comfortable mixing them together in one bowl. However, if you know of a good International cheese shop, by all means, pick yourself up some wonderfully melty German cheese and get your grate on! Here is the original photo I took of German Onion Soup back in 2013:
- 2 - 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 can or bottle 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
GERMAN ONION SOUP – 2013 version (if desired) {PRINT THIS RECIPE]
Serves 6-8 Prep time: 30 minutes Simmer time: 20 minutes
For the croutons:
5-6 slices German seeded rye bread, cut into 1″ cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the soup:
1 pound bratwurst sausage, cut into 1″ pieces
5 large, sweet Vidalia onions, medium chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups beef stock (I used the low sodium variety)
1 12-ounce bottle of beer (I used a German Oktoberfest variety)
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4-5 ounces of Swiss cheese, grated
-In a large stockpot over medium/high heat, saute the rye bread cubes in the olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally until they’re nicely browned and crisp. Remove the croutons from the pot and set aside.
-In the same large stockpot, deeply brown the cut up bratwurst, stirring occasionally. Remove the browned sausage using a slotted spoon, set aside, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
-To the reserved sausage drippings, add in the butter and saute the chopped onions over medium heat until they’ve reduced considerably and have become moderately caramelized (approximately 15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
-Once the onions have caramelized reduce the heat to low and add in the flour. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
-Carefully add the beef stock, beer, mustard, brown sugar and bay leaves. Stir well to combine and return the heat back up to medium/low. As the soup heats, it will thicken slightly.
-Once thickened, reduce the heat to low, and add the nutmeg and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-To serve, remove the bay leaves and ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon in some croutons and top with the grated cheese.
For additional German-inspired dishes I’ve shared here on Kudos Kitchen, please click on the titles of the following recipes:
Hearty German Meatballs In Caraway Mushroom Cream Sauce
German Slow Cooker Pork Ribs with Sauerkraut
German Potato Salad Kudos Kitchen Style
Rustic Onion Rye Bread with Dill
I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe re-do for German Onion Soup as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you. Should have any questions regarding this or anything else you see 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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Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Where food, art, and fun collide each and every day!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
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!