German Potato Soup: A Simple and Satisfying Meal

This delicious, simple, and vegetarian German potato soup, or kartoffelsuppe, makes a wonderful meal that is both satisfying and comforting, especially on colder days.

Hearty and full of veggies, this soup is a classic that’s sure to please!

It’s pretty friendly on the grocery budget as well, which is always nice.

What to serve with German potato soup

It’s wonderful on its own or with some fresh bread. Try cooking frozen garlic bread in the air fryer for a speedy side dish!

Garnish with fresh parsley, chives, dill, or green onions.

You can also top this soup with some grated cheddar cheese.

Some people also enjoy it with oyster crackers on top, or with Saltine crackers on the side.

What potatoes work best for German potato soup?

Starchy potatoes, like Russet, Idaho, and Yukon gold potatoes, work best as they will soften more during boiling, so you can get a decently creamy soup just from mashing them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

However, since we are using a blender to get a very creamy soup, waxier potatoes like red potatoes, purple potatoes, and fingerling potatoes (which hold their shape more when boiled) will also work out just fine here.

(Purple potatoes would yield a very interesting color for soup, though.)

Yukon golds have the least starch of the starchy baking potatoes, so they are in the middle and work well in just about any recipe.

If you’re using a different type of potato, aim for about 2 pounds for this recipe.

Regardless of which you pick, you’ll be able to enjoy all the nutrients packed into the humble potato.

Can you prep some of this ahead?

Yes, you can!

Once you’ve done enough cooking, you begin to realize that an awful lot of your recipes start the exact same way: with onion, celery, and carrot.

This is especially true for soups and stir-fries.

Enter: battuto (or mirepoix if you’re French)!

My recipe for battuto includes parsley as well, but a strict mirepoix features just the big three.

The German variation of battuto is called suppengrün (soup greens), which typically includes carrots, celery root (celeriac), and leeks. It can also include onions, potatoes, and sometimes parsnips.

Feel free to chop some of your veggies a day or so early so you don’t have to chop everything all at once, and simply store them in the fridge.

Leeks: What are they, how to chop leeks, and what parts to eat

Leeks look like giant green onions, and actually have a similar flavor, although they are milder and sweeter. Yes, they are related.

The first part of getting leeks ready to eat is washing them extremely well, as dirt tends to stick around in between all the leaves and layers.

You’ll want to chop off the very bottom, where the white root strings hang off.

For this recipe, you’ll only need the white, yellow, and light green portions of the leek.

You can eat the dark green parts too, but they are a lot tougher and take longer to cook, so people often cook them separately or use them to make vegetable stock.

Once you chop off the very bottom and the dark green portion, take the central stalk and slice it lengthwise in half.

Then, turn each long half cut side down and chop half-moon slices.

Besides color, you’ll also be able to feel from chopping when you get to the too tough dark green part.

Pin it for later!

What if I don’t have any vegetable broth?

We are technically making our own vegetable broth by boiling a bunch of vegetables, so you can just use water.

If you do, though, you will probably want to add more salt.

You can always taste as you go.

Other Vegetarian Recipes you may enjoy

• Irish vegetable soup (similar but with parsnip)
• Deviled potatoes (think deviled eggs, but more delicious and vegan)
• Kartoffel klosse (German potato dumplings)
• Butternut Squash Rosemary Soup
• Battuto (step one of this recipe – chopped veggie blend you can prep ahead)
• German muffins
• Mediterranean soup
• Vegan green goddess soup
• Vegan spicy zucchini soup

Make it vegan!

Use a dairy-free cream like canned coconut milk or cashew cream, or, for a lower-fat version, try a plant-based milk like soy milk.

Storing and Freezing

You can store leftover soup in the fridge for several days in an airtight container. Large mason jars work well for storing soup.

Cream-based soups don’t freeze especially well because the cream separates and the texture gets a little grainy, although some meal prepping is better than no meal prepping.

For better results, you can keep some soup out for freezing before you add any dairy.

Then, once you thaw it, you can mix in fresh cream or just enjoy the vegan version, which is also delicious.

Variations and substitutions for this recipe

You can use milk, buttermilk, cream, or half and half, depending on how rich you want this soup to turn out.

Some people add sour cream as well, in addition to the cream/half and half. I’m sure you could substitute Greek yogurt in its place for a tangy flavor.

If you think you over blended and want a less thick soup, you can always add milk, vegetable broth, or even water to make it stretch further.

Green onions would make a great alternative (or addition) to the leek, and would make a nice garnish, too.

Some people use celeriac (celery root) instead of celery stalks, so try whatever you like and can easily find.

Try adding fresh chives and/or dill, either in place of the parsley or in addition to it.

I love greens in potato soup! Try adding Swiss chard, kale, or whatever green is your favorite.

I only blended some of the veggies and left most of them as is for a chunky, hearty soup, but you could blend it all for a smooth and creamy soup if you’d prefer.

If you are hungry and want an even more satisfying soup, you can always add a grain like wild rice, brown rice, barley, or farro, but note that doing so will change the texture quite a bit.

If you found this article helpful, please consider joining my email newsletter community for new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!

German Potato Soup Ingredients

Before you begin, you will need:

Edible Ingredients

• 4 large Russet potatoes (roughly 2 pounds)
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots
• 1 leek
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (one package)
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish if desired
• 3/4 cup half and half (or cream or milk, depending on your preference)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or more to your taste – that’s pretty healthy and low-salt)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Tools and Equipment

• Large pot, like a Dutch oven or stock pot. (If you only have a smaller pot you may want to only make a half recipe.)
• Wooden spoon or other stirring utensil
• Ladle if your stirring utensil can’t get veggies into your blender
• Blender (An immersion blender would be best if you have one, but I do not.)
• Knife and cutting board
• Prep bowls (optional but helpful for all the chopped veggies)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Silicone gripper or towel for handling the hot blender if yours doesn’t have a handle

How to Make German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

1. Firstly, wash and chop all of your vegetables. I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes or carrots and only scrubbed them. Dice them into relatively small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook. If you’ve never chopped a leek, see my notes above. Mince the garlic and parsley.
2. Once all the hard work is done, place your pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the onion and cook for a couple minutes until softened.
3. After that, add in the garlic, stir, and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
4. Then, add in the carrots and celery. Stir them in and then cook for another couple minutes to soften them.
5. Next, add in the leek and combine well. Continue cooking for another minute or so.
6. After that, add in the potatoes and the vegetable broth. Stir everything well, then cover, bring to a boil, and boil for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender enough for your liking.
7. If you have an immersion blender, use that to make the soup creamy. If you don’t, scoop out some of the soup into a blender and blend before re-adding to the soup. I have a small blender and had to do two batches to get the consistency I was aiming for.
8. Once the soup is about the thickness you would like it to be, add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. Combine thoroughly.
9. Finally, stir in the half and half until evenly incorporated, taste to see if you want more salt, serve hot, and enjoy! You can garnish your German potato soup with a sprig of parsley for a nice touch.

I hope you love this German Potato Soup recipe!