I have gathered several detailed recipes for Creamy Reuben Soup. This soup captures all the classic flavors of the iconic Reuben sandwich—corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and rye bread—in a warm, comforting, and creamy bowl.
The search results offer a variety of approaches. To help you choose, I’ve organized them into a comparison table followed by detailed instructions for three distinct recipes.
Comparison of Creamy Reuben Soup Recipes
Source / Style Key Ingredients Unique Elements / Method Serving Suggestion Yield
Classic Stovetop Version Butter, onion, celery, cabbage, flour, chicken broth, heavy cream, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, seasonings (caraway, dry mustard, dill). Simmers cabbage in the broth for tenderness; cheese is stirred in at the end for creaminess . Garnished with fresh parsley and chopped dill pickles. 4 servings
German Restaurant Style Onion, celery, bell peppers, butter, flour, beef & chicken stock, bay leaf, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, half-and-half, roux. Uses a combination of beef and chicken stock, plus a final addition of roux for thickening . Topped with pumpernickel or rye croutons. 8 servings
Baked-Topped Version Onion, celery, butter, flour, water, beef bouillon, corned beef, sauerkraut, half-and-half, Swiss cheese, rye bread. Soup is ladled into bowls, topped with toasted rye bread and extra cheese, then broiled until bubbly . Served immediately after broiling. 6-8 servings
Detailed Recipes
Here are the step-by-step instructions for three excellent versions of the soup.
- Classic Stovetop Creamy Reuben Soup
This recipe, from a popular food blog, is a great starting point for a reliable and flavorful soup .
Ingredients :
· ¼ cup unsalted butter
· 1 small sweet onion, chopped
· 2 ribs celery, sliced
· ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
· 3 cups chopped green cabbage (cut ½-inch)
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 3 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
· 1 cup heavy whipping cream
· 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ teaspoon garlic powder
· ¼ teaspoon dried dill
· ¼ teaspoon black pepper
· 6 ounces corned beef (about 1 ½ cups diced)
· 1 cup sauerkraut, squeezed dry and chopped
· 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)
· Chopped fresh parsley and dill pickles for garnish
Instructions :
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and caraway seeds and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
- Cook the Cabbage: Stir in the cabbage and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Make the Base: Add the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, dry mustard, salt, garlic powder, dill weed, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
- Add Corned Beef and Kraut: Stir in the corned beef and sauerkraut. Cook for 2 minutes more to heat through.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded Swiss cheese until melted. Garnish individual bowls with fresh parsley and chopped dill pickles.
- Reuben Soup (Mader’s German Restaurant Style)
This recipe is an adaptation from a famous German restaurant and offers a richer, more complex broth .
Ingredients :
· ½ large onion, diced
· 2 celery ribs, diced
· ½ green bell pepper, diced
· ½ red bell pepper, diced
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 2 tablespoons flour
· 1 bay leaf
· 3 cups beef stock
· 3 cups chicken stock
· 6 ounces corned beef, thinly sliced into strips
· 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
· 1 cup sauerkraut
· 1 pint half-and-half cream, heated
· For the Roux: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon flour
· Rye or pumpernickel croutons, for topping
Instructions :
- Soften Vegetables: In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the onion, celery, bell peppers, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over very low heat until the vegetables are softened.
- Build the Base: Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for a few minutes. Add the bay leaf, beef stock, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add Meat and Cheese: Add the corned beef strips to the soup. Gradually add the shredded Swiss cheese, stirring slowly until it is completely melted.
- Incorporate Kraut and Thickener: Stir in the sauerkraut. Prepare the roux by melting 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and blending in 1 tablespoon of flour. Cook until bubbly, then add the roux to the soup. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the heated half-and-half and warm through. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with rye or pumpernickel croutons.
- Baked-Topped Creamy Reuben Soup
This version adds a delightful, cheesy, toasted bread topping that mimics the sandwich’s rye bread element .
Ingredients :
· 1 cup sauerkraut, well drained
· ½ cup onion, chopped
· ¼ cup celery, chopped
· 3 Tablespoons butter
· ¼ cup unsifted flour
· 3 cups water
· 4 teaspoons beef flavored bouillon
· ½ pound corned beef, shredded
· 3 cups half & half
· 12 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
· 6 to 8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted and cut into quarters
Instructions :
- Sauté: In a large saucepan, cook the onion and celery in butter until tender.
- Thicken: Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Simmer Soup: Add the corned beef, sauerkraut, half & half, and 1 cup of the shredded Swiss cheese. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
- Prepare Topping: Preheat your oven’s broiler. Ladle the soup into 6-8 oven-proof bowls.
- Broil and Serve: Top each bowl with the toasted bread quarters and the remaining shredded Swiss cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Serve immediately .
I hope these detailed recipes help you create a delicious and comforting pot of Creamy Reuben Soup. Which version appeals to you the most?