Graupensuppe (German Barley Soup)

By Joschef

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup pearl barley (available from Organic Wholesale Club)
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup finely chopped peeled russet potato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery root
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 1 tsp. dried marjoram
• 2 German sausages, like bockwurst or bratwurst (available from Koenemann Sausage Co.)
• 1 2-oz. piece bacon
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

Klaus Weiler, the chef at Weinhaus Weiler in Oberwesel, Germany, shared the recipe for this classic barley soup. Garnished with sausage, it's substantial enough to make a meal in itself. This recipe first appeared in our November 2011 issue along with Beth Kracklauer's story

Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add barley, and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add stock, potato, carrot, celery root, leek, marjoram, sausages, and bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausages are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove sausages and bacon from saucepan, thinly slice sausages, and discard bacon. Season soup with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. To serve, ladle soup into 8 serving bowls, and garnish with parsley and sliced sausage.

This recipe was easy to make, but it was very bland. I had to use a lot of salt and spices to make it taste like anything. I also recommend adding more vegetables than the 1/2 cup in the recipe.

I eat and make a lot of soup. A LOT of soup. Mostly of Latin and Asian origins, tending to be strongly flavored. I'm of German origin, but I hadn't eaten a German or European style soup in a long time before doing this one. It reminded me of the subtlety of the European soup craft. The flavors of this soup are subtle, from the mirepoix to the stock, but they are distinct, and very good, with as much depth of flavor as a well executed consomme'. Frankly, this recipe reminded me of the breadth of the craft of soupmaking. Balanced,subtle, and very nice. And not bland at all. The ingredients in this soup require a somewhat more forceful hand for proper seasoning. And the sausage certainly is there to add salt as well as protein. But that still gives the cook free range to make it taste exactly as they like.

This is an excellent soup! I've been very weary of leftover Christmas and Thanksgiving food (Swedish meatballs, turkey, ham, yadda, yadda, yadda). So I was craving a warm soup that tasted totally different than holiday food. I followed it exactly except I didn't have the time or inclination to get real German sausage and I couldn't find celery root although I like using it - I just used regular celery. Apparently other reviewers thought it was rather bland. I disagree! It's German food, so it's not as though you're going to get a burst of intense flavor as you would with Mexican or Italian. The flavors and subtle but prominent. And if a nineteen month old boy will eat it heartily without flinging it from his high chair, it's a winner. Will definitely make again but next time I'll make a double batch. It was gone too fast.

This is a good-flavored and satisfying soup. I will be making it again. I used smoked bratwurst, regular celery, chicken broth and added extra parsley. The marjoram and nutmeg were wonderful. I also made some Tilsit cheese toasts to with it. Even better the next day. Mmm.

Loved it. Simply satisfying. Real German Sausage cooked as recipe suggests really makes it come together.

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