Reuben Soup

This soup takes all of the Reuben flavors you love and combines them in a steaming hot bowl of soup, perfect for these chilly nights.

Reuben Soup

Years ago, I ran across a recipe for Reuben Soup over at Closet Cooking. I mentioned it to my husband at the time and he did not let me forget it.

His all-time favorite sandwich is a classic Reuben; rye bread piled high with corned beef, sauerkraut, and melting Swiss cheese.

The idea of a soup for winter that delivers everything we love about Reuben sandwiches? There is no resisting that combination. Don’t skip the rye bread for serving with the soup, it adds the perfect final touch.

Creamy Reuben Soup

The first time I made this soup, my husband and I really enjoyed it and my kids were less than impressed. But now? This soup disappears crazy fast every time I make it.

Fortunately, most of my boys have grown to love Reuben sandwiches and that’s made this recipe a HUGE favorite for most of the family.

This soup has had a place in our regular winter menu rotation for over ten years now.

Did you know you can buy corned beef in most stores year-round? I didn’t until I wanted to make this soup and decided to check the deli.

I’ve brined my own in the past, but this time, I was happy to just pick up a ready-to-cook package and toss it in the crock-pot. Now that I’ve remembered how much I like corned beef, there is an awesome breakfast skillet in our near future as well!

Reuben Soup Ingredients

Don’t be intimidated by the length of this ingredient list. This recipe is very simple to make and all of these ingredients? They add up to an incredible flavor combination in a hearty bowl of soup.

• butter
• onion
• garlic
• red pepper flakes
• flour
• chicken broth
• sauerkraut
• potatoes
• Worcestershire sauce
• pickling spices
• caraway seeds
• bay leaves
• heavy cream
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• corned beef
• Swiss cheese

Reuben Soup Recipe

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and red pepper and saute an additional minute. Sprinkle the onions with flour, stir to coat, and continue stirring while the flour cooks with the onion for about 3 minutes.

Add the broth and stir to scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes, sauerkraut, Worcestershire sauce, pickling spices, caraway seeds, and bay leaves.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 12-15 minutes, just until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves and any large pieces from the pickling spices.

Stir in the cream. Add the corned beef. Taste and add salt (only if needed) and pepper as needed. Scoop into bowls and top with cheese. Serve with rye bread, if desired.

I make extra corned beef every year now, just so I can enjoy the leftovers for an additional day or two. I picked up three corned beef briskets from the grocery store the other day, just to stash a couple of them in the freezer for later this year.

I have the last two slices from this Baked Honey Mustard Corned Beef stashed away now for my lunch tomorrow, along with the last of the Colcannon. I’m looking forward to it!

Crispy hot potatoes and cabbage are combined with bites of tender, salty, corned beef to create the corned beef and cabbage hash of your dreams.

Tender, salty, corned beef, bite-size chunks of potatoes, and shredded green cabbage are combined in a savory stew for a dinner that never fails to make everyone in my family happy.

Reuben Soup

4.67 from 9 votes

This soup takes all of the Reuben flavors we love and combines them in a steaming hot bowl of soup, perfect for chilly nights.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 medium size onion diced into ½" pieces
• ▢ 2 large cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 40 ounces chicken broth about 5 cups
• ▢ 1 cup sauerkraut drained
• ▢ 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced into ½" pieces, about 4 cups
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pickling spices
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ kosher salt to taste, ONLY as needed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
• ▢ 2 cups cooked corned beef chopped into bite-size pieces
• ▢ 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded
• ▢ toasted rye bread for serving OPTIONAL

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and red pepper and saute an additional minute. Sprinkle the onions with flour, stir to coat, and continue stirring while the flour cooks with the onion for about 3 minutes.
• Add the broth and stir to scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes, sauerkraut, Worcestershire sauce, pickling spices, caraway seeds and bay leaves.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 12-15 minutes, just until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves and any large pieces from the pickling spices.
• Stir in the cream. Add the corned beef. Taste and add salt (only if needed) and pepper as needed. Scoop into bowls and top with cheese. Serve with rye bread, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Adjust the salt depending on whether the broth is homemade or store-bought. Taste the soup before adding any salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal · Carbohydrates: 8g · Protein: 13g · Fat: 23g · Saturated Fat: 12g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7g · Trans Fat: 0.2g · Cholesterol: 73mg · Sodium: 1425mg · Potassium: 261mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 2g · Vitamin A: 622IU · Vitamin C: 15mg · Calcium: 202mg · Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 12/6/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/8/23}