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Berliner Kartoffelsuppe
Potato and root vegetable soup
Berliner Kartoffelsuppe: thick Berlin potato and root vegetable soup with marjoram
This is the soup of Berlin's cheap lunch counters and winter kitchens: potatoes and the 'Suppengrün' bundle of carrot, celeriac, leek and parsley root, simmered thick and seasoned with plenty of marjoram. In Berlin it usually comes with a sliced Wiener sausage floating on top; this vegetarian version is finished instead with crisp fried onions and croutons, which give the same savoury contrast. A common mistake is using waxy potatoes, which never thicken the soup; you want floury ones that collapse. Chef's tip: rub the dried marjoram between your palms as it goes in, which wakes up its sweet, piney scent.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 oz butter
- 2 onionschopped
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 5 ½ oz celeriacdiced
- 1 leeksliced
- 1 parsley root or parsnipdiced
- 2 ¼ lb floury potatoespeeled and diced
- 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- salt and pepperto taste
- ½ cup single cream (optional)
To finish
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 2 slices stale breadcubed
- 2 tbsp parsleychopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Add 2 ¼ lb floury potatoes, 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock and 1 bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are falling apart.
25 minStep 3: Remove the bay leaf. Mash about half the soup in the pot with a potato masher so it thickens but keeps chunks. Add 2 tsp dried marjoram, 1 pinch grated nutmeg and ½ cup single cream and season with salt and pepper.
3 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry 1 onion for 6 minutes until brown and crisp; lift out. Fry the 2 slices stale bread cubes in the same pan for 3 minutes until golden.
9 minStep 5: Serve the soup in deep bowls topped with crisp onions, croutons and 2 tbsp parsley.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does berliner Kartoffelsuppe take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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