Kartoffelsuppe, German Potato and Marjoram Soup
Kartoffelsuppe is the everyday potato soup of German home kitchens, thick enough to stand a spoon in and built entirely from cheap roots. Most versions start with bacon fat and finish with sausage or a pour of dairy. Neither is necessary. A proper base of leek, onion, carrot, and celery sweated slowly in water gives all the savor the soup needs, and mashing part of the pot against its own side turns the potatoes into their own thickener. Marjoram is the signature herb, caraway the quiet one underneath, and a late splash of vinegar keeps the whole thing from going stodgy. It thickens overnight into nearly a stew, so it is worth making the full batch and reheating with a little added water.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 wholes Leeks, white and pale green, sliced and washed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, diced
- 2 wholes Carrots (cooking), diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 wholes Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp Caraway
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the leek, onion, carrot, and celery in a splash of water over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes, adding water as needed. Softening the aromatics first, rather than just boiling them, builds the sweet backbone the soup is named for.
- Add the potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, marjoram, caraway, and bouillon, then pour in 6 cups (1.4 L) water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fully tender, about 20 minutes. Marjoram and caraway are the two flavors that place this soup in Germany rather than anywhere else.
- Fish out the bay leaves and mash about half the potatoes against the side of the pot with a masher or spoon. Crushing only part of the potato releases enough starch to thicken the broth into something creamy while leaving the rest in tender chunks, so you get body without dairy and texture without a blender.
- Stir in the nutmeg, vinegar, and black pepper and taste. The splash of vinegar at the end is what keeps a starchy soup from tasting heavy, brightening it the way a squeeze of lemon would. Finish with the parsley off the heat and add water to loosen, since the potato keeps drinking it as the pot sits.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fiber, 90 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
