This comforting bratwurst soup is a favorite family recipe that keeps us all full and happy. I use bratwurst meat for the meatballs, which gives the soup a deep, savory flavor with very little effort.
I've been making variations of this bratwurst soup for years. We cook with bratwurst often here in Germany, and it sometimes happens that I open a package and don't use all the sausages at once. When that happens, I either freeze them or turn them into this simple soup.
If the sausages haven't been frozen before, they freeze well and can be cooked later. You can also see How to Cook Frozen Sausages for easy methods. When I only have a few sausages and want something warm and filling, this soup is my go-to.
If you enjoy cooking with sausages, try Kid-Friendly Sausage and Potato Soup, German Lentil Soup, or Swede Soup.
Ingredients: 15 + oil, salt & pepper | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients and substitutes
Bratwurst: Fresh brats make for the quickest meatballs ever! No need for additional seasoning. Simply form the meatballs. If that feels like too much effort, no worries.
- Just squeeze small chunks of meat from the casings and add them to the soup for a rustic look; it'll still taste amazing. Learn more ways to cook bratwurst: Brats in the Oven, Brats on the Stove, Air Fryer Brats, or Brats and Sauerkraut.
- If you enjoy cooking with sausages, try German Lentil Soup, Sausage and Potato Soup, or Swede Soup.
Beans: Kidney beans work well, but other beans are fine. You'll need about 14 oz/ 400 g cooked beans.
- If using canned, 2 cans are enough.
- For dried beans, cook 7 oz/ 200 g until tender.
Pasta: Small shapes like ditalini, orecchiette, or orzo suit this bratwurst soup best.
Broth/stock: If you cook dried beans, use the cooking liquid and adjust the flavor with 1-2 stock cubes.
Pesto: Optional, but adds flavor. Use any kind; I often use wild garlic pesto.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations on the recipe
Other sausages: You can replace brats with other uncooked sausages, like Italian sausages. Smoked sausages such as cabanossi or kielbasa also work well; slice them and add them directly to the soup. If using cooked sausages, skip the meatballs.
Beans: Any beans work, dried or canned.
Pasta substitutes: Swap the pasta for cubed potatoes, barley, buckwheat, or rice. Adjust the cooking time as needed, following the package instructions.
To make it vegetarian, substitute the sausages with plant-based alternatives, use vegetable broth, and consider adding extra veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers for flavor. Or try this delicious Black Lentil Pasta Soup.
How to make bratwurst soup?
Step # 1: Cook the onion and the garlic for about 2 minutes.
Step # 2: Stir in the blended tomatoes or passata and tomato paste, and cook for about 3 minutes.
Step # 3: Blend half of the cooked beans and add them to the pot.
Step # 4: Add the remaining beans and either some of their cooking liquid or chicken stock. Add dried herbs and sugar. Cook for 20 minutes.
Step # 5: Remove the sausages' casings and form small meatballs about the size of a cherry. Add them to the soup.
Step # 6: Cook pasta in the soup, and add parsley and Parmesan before serving.
Good to know!
Cooking beans: If using red kidney beans, rinse and soak them overnight. Drain, cover with water again, add the spices, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, lower the heat, and simmer the beans until tender, at least 45 minutes and longer if needed. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid.
The quickest method to cook beans is using a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. If you have one, it's recommended for faster bean preparation.
How to store and reheat bratwurst soup?
Refrigerate any leftovers for 2-3 days. The soup will thicken slightly because the pasta will absorb the broth. If you want to make it soupier again, add some stock when reheating it.
What to serve with the soup?
Check out 25 ideas on What to Serve with Soup.
Do you like this recipe?
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Hearty Bratwurst Soup (with Beans and Pasta)
Equipment
- Large soup pot or large Dutch oven
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 cans kidney beans 14 oz/ 400 g each, Notes 1, 2
- 2 small onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 7 oz tomatoes 200 g or the same amount of passata, Note 3
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 โ cups chicken stock Note 4
- 2 bay leaves
- ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme
- ยฝ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 lb brats Note 5
- ยพ cup ditalini or other small pasta
- 1-2 teaspoons pesto optional
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons Parmesan freshly grated and to taste
Instructions
- Beans: If cooking the beans from scratch, check out Note 1. Drain the cooked beans, but reserve the cooking liquid. 2 cans kidney beans or 1โ cups dried beans (200g) to be cooked from scratch
- Blend half of the beans and set them aside.
- Saute: Heat the oil in the pot. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook them for about 2 minutes. 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 small onions + 2 garlic cloves
- Tomatoes: In the meantime, blend the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pot, stir well, and cook for about 3 minutes.7 oz tomatoes/ 200 g + 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Cook bratwurst soup: Add the pureed beans, the remaining whole beans, and the chicken stock. Add thyme, rosemary, and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook gently for 20 minutes. If using bean stock, add 1 or 2 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock to give it more flavor.4 โ cups chicken stock/ 1 liter + 2 bay leaves + ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme + ยฝ teaspoon dried rosemary + 1 teaspoon sugar
- Bratwurst meatballs: In the meantime, make the meatballs. Remove the sausages' casings and form small meatballs about the size of a cherry. Add them to the soup and simmer for about 2 minutes.1 lb brats
- Add the pasta. Read the packet's instructions and cook the pasta shapes accordingly. My pasta needed 7 minutes, so the meatballs had enough time (9-10 minutes) to be cooked through. If your pasta shapes need a shorter cooking time, give the meatballs a few minutes more before adding the pasta.ยพ cup ditalini
- Add pesto to taste and adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Add lots of chopped parsley and a grating of Parmesan just before serving.1-2 teaspoons pesto + 1 small bunch of fresh parsley + fine sea salt + ground black pepper + 1-2 tablespoons Parmesan
Notes
- Cooking dried beans: You can cook 1โ cups dried beans (200g). Soak them overnight in plenty of water. Drain, cover with water again, add the onion, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, lower the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes or longer until the beans are tender.
- Other kinds of beans can be used instead.
- Tomatoes: Use the same amount of passata or blended tomatoes from a can instead.
- Cooking liquid: If you cook your own beans, use their cooking liquid to make the soup and add a few chicken stock cubes to increase the flavor.ย
- Meatballs: You can also make meatballs from scratch using ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, or a mixture of any of those. Season the meat generously with salt, pepper, sweet or hot paprika (to taste), and fresh or dried herbs like parsley, oregano, or thyme.ย Form the meatballs and continue with the recipe.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I make pasta e fagioli often and you have certainly created something very different and delicious sounding. I can't wait to give your version with sausage meatballs a try.
Ron says
Pasta e Fagioli Soup is one of my favorite soups. A soup that's good any time of the year in my mind. Ditalini is such a great soup pasta. I must make your version soon. FYI: Olive Garden Restaurants are located all over the US. I've had their Pasta e Fagioli soup and it's not bad. We don't have Olive Gardens here in Sweden but if we did I'd go visit.
angiesrecipes says
Looks like a very comforting and tasty meal!