Kartoffelsuppe

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all ingredients first: peel and dice the potatoes, dice the onion, carrot, and celery, chop the garlic, slice the smoked sausage, and chop the parsley. Keeping the vegetables a similar size helps them cook evenly and makes the soup beginner-friendly.

   500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cm160 g smoked sausage, sliced into 1 cm rounds120 g onion, finely diced100 g carrot, diced80 g celery stalk, diced1 clove (5 g) garlic, finely chopped1 tbsp (4 g) fresh parsley, chopped
2. 2

   Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter and vegetable oil, then cook the onion, carrot, and celery for 5-6 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds at the end; gentle sweating builds sweetness without making the soup taste roasted.

   15 g butter10 ml vegetable oil120 g onion, finely diced100 g carrot, diced80 g celery stalk, diced1 clove (5 g) garlic, finely chopped
3. 3

   Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it smells fragrant and lightly colors at the edges. This helps render a little fat and gives the soup a deeper smoky flavor.

   160 g smoked sausage, sliced into 1 cm rounds
4. 4

   Add the diced potatoes, vegetable stock, dried marjoram, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 18-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender and can be easily crushed with a spoon.

   500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cm800 ml vegetable stock2 tsp dried marjoram1 bay leaf5 g, plus to taste fine salt1/4 tsp, plus to taste black pepper
5. 5

   Remove the bay leaf. Lightly mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, leaving plenty of chunks. This thickens the broth naturally while keeping the soup rustic.

6. 6

   Taste and adjust with extra salt and pepper if needed. Let the soup rest off the heat for 3 minutes so the flavors settle and the texture slightly thickens.

7. 7

   Ladle into warm bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of sour cream and a little chopped parsley, then serve hot with bread if you like.

   60 g sour cream1 tbsp (4 g) fresh parsley, chopped

Origin & History

Kartoffelsuppe is a classic home-style soup found across Germany, with many regional variations depending on what was affordable and available. Versions with sausage are especially popular because they turn a simple potato soup into a hearty one-pot meal, while marjoram is a traditional seasoning often associated with German potato dishes.