German Onion Soup with Bratwurst & Pretzel Roll Croutons

German Onion Soup with Beer, Bratwurst & Pretzel Roll Croutons

Written by on in Ethnic, German, Kudos Kitchen, Sausage, Soups & Stews
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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.
German Onion Soup with Beer and Bratwurst - www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com
This recipe for German Onion Soup was completely inspired by my favorite restaurant starter, French Onion Soup. I first made this soup a few years ago when I started in my kitchen making a 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 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.

German Onion Soup with Beer and Bratwurst - www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com

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!

German Onion Soup with Caramelized Onions and Bratwurst - www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com

Here’s what I wrote about German Onion Soup back in 2013, warts and all;

I wanted to share this one-pot recipe for German Onion Soup because it’s a meal you can easily prepare with minimal cleanup, and yet you’ll be able to wow your family with maximum flavor.

 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:

German Onion Soup with Rye Bread Croutons - www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com
One of my goals for this year is to go through a lot of my previous recipes to re-make and update them. Since I’ve been blogging, I’m constantly coming up with new recipes and then the previous ones (even though they’re really good) get forgotten about, and even I don’t serve them as frequently as I should. This year I’m hoping to change all that and this recipe for German Onion Soup is a good place to start!
German Onion Soup couldn’t be easier to make. Let me show you how:
How to make German onion soup with bratwurst and pretzel roll croutons.
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. 
How to make German onion soup with bratwurst and pretzel rolls.
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.
 
How to make German Onion Soup with Bratwurst and Pretzel Roll Croutons
 
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!
 
German Onion Soup Recipe with Bratwurst and Pretzel Roll Croutons - www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com
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German Onion Soup with Bratwurst & Pretzel Roll Croutons
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German Onion Soup with Beer, Bratwurst & Pretzel Roll Croutons
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
German Onion Soup with plenty of caramelized onions, beer, bratwurst and pretzel roll croutons will soon become a family favorite!
Course: Soup - Main Course
Servings: 10 cups
Author: Renée - Kudos Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the pretzel cubes and cook, stirring frequently until golden and crunchy. *Note - watch the croutons closely as they burn quickly.
  3. Remove the browned croutons and set aside.
  4. 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.
  5. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
  6. Add the remaining olive oil and butter to the stockpot along with the chopped onions.
  7. Stir well and add the salt and pepper.
  8. Continue cooking and stirring the onions occasionally until the onions are golden in color and reduced in volume (approximately 12-15 minutes).
  9. Add the flour to the caramelized onion and cook, stirring well for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Slowly add the beer and beef stock to the pot.
  11. Stir in the brown sugar, bay leaves, and grated nutmeg.
  12. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the browned bratwurst back to the pot.
  13. Stir well and simmer for at least 15 minutes, longer if you have the time.
  14. Remove the bay leaves.
  15. Serve the German Onion Soup topped with the pretzel croutons and the shredded Swiss cheese.
Recipe Notes

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.

Oktoberfest Painted Ceramic Tile

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!

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23 Comments

  1. Liz Berg
    October 6, 2013 at 8:48 am

    Such a yummy twist on French Onion Soup! I love the addition of bratwurst…so hearty and delicious!

  2. Jen @JuaniasCocina
    October 6, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    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!

    • Renee Goerger
      October 6, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      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 🙂

  3. Conni Foodiearmywife Smith
    October 6, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    YUM!!!! I'm saving this one to make for the fam!

  4. Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
    October 6, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    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.

  5. The Wimpy Vegetarian
    October 6, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Fantastic idea. My husband would LOVE this!!

  6. Stacy
    October 6, 2013 at 4:42 pm

    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!

  7. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
    October 6, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    Never heard of this before but it's right up my alley!

    • Renee Goerger
      October 6, 2013 at 6:44 pm

      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!

  8. Tara
    October 6, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    What a great idea and perfect for Oktoberfest!! Love it!!

  9. Cheryl King
    October 7, 2013 at 5:12 am

    This looks yummy, I'll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!

  11. Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom)
    October 7, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    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….

  12. Sarah Reid
    October 7, 2013 at 7:48 pm

    Whoa! My stepfamily would go NUTS for this

  13. Alice Choi
    October 8, 2013 at 2:15 pm

    This soup is perfect for an Oktoberfest celebration! love it!

  14. Faye Leong
    October 11, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    Wow…what a fabulous soup in all the wonderful ingredients in. Great recipe!

  15. Anne @ Webicurean
    October 16, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    Boy does this sound good–I love the idea of putting a twist on French Onion–can't wait to try it!