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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Meat > Sausages and Bratwurst

    Bratwurst Soup

    Published by: Adina April 17, 2021 ยท Last modified: January 31, 2024 3 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    sausage meatballs and beans soup overhead view.

    This comforting bratwurst soup is sure to keep the family full and happy. Our secret? We make the tasty meatballs using bratwurst meat to add delicious flavor to the soup.

    a bowl full of soup with brat meatballs and beans.

    I've been making variations of this bratwurst soup for years. We're big fans of bratwurst, especially during our summer grilling sessions. But I always end up with an excess of sausages after a grill party. With an opened package in the fridge, the question always lingers โ€“ what to do with them?

    If they weren't previously frozen and thawed, you can always freeze them and defrost them again when needed. You can even learn How to Cook Frozen Sausages.

    But when we only have a few, and I don't want to be bothered with freezing, I make this super delicious bratwurst soup. Try more of our soups using sausages: Kid-Friendly Sausage and Potato Soup, German Lentil Soup, or Swede Soup.

    Jump to recipe
    • ๐Ÿ“‹Recipe ingredients and substitutes
    • ๐Ÿซ˜Variations on the recipe
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸณHow to make bratwurst soup?
    • โ—Expert Tips
    • โ“Recipe FAQs
    • ๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhat to serve with the soup?
    • ๐Ÿ“–Recipe
    • Bratwurst Soup

    ๐Ÿ“‹Recipe ingredients and substitutes

    labeled ingredients for making bratwurst soup.
    • 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.
      • Alternatively, you can use ground meat. Season it generously with salt, pepper, paprika (sweet or hot to taste), and fresh or dried herbs like parsley, oregano, or thyme. Form the meatballs and proceed with the recipe.
    • The beans: I had kidney beans, but I often use different beans for the sausage soup. You'll need around 400 g/14 oz of cooked beans, give or take. If using canned beans, 2 cans will do.
      • To get about 14 oz/ 400 g of cooked beans, cook around 7 oz/ 200 g of dried kidney beans. Rinse and soak them overnight, then drain and place them in a large pot, covering them with fresh water. Bring to a boil, simmer for about ten minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes or until tender.
    • Pasta: Small pasta shapes like ditalini, orecchiette, or even orzo are perfect for this hearty bratwurst soup.
    • Tomatoes: Use fresh blended tomatoes or the same amount of passata from a jar.
    • Broth/stock: If cooking your own beans, you can use the cooking liquid of the beans with 1-2 additional chicken or vegetable stock cubes to taste.
    • Spices: Dried herbs like bay leaves, dried thyme, and dried rosemary.
    • Pesto: Your favorite kind (in my case, wild garlic pesto). It's optional, but it tastes good.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Learn more ways to cook bratwurst: Brats in the Oven, Brats on the Stove, Air Fryer Brats, or Brats and Sauerkraut.

    ๐Ÿซ˜Variations on the recipe

    • Other sausages: Feel free to use other types of uncooked sausages, such as Italian sausages, in place of brats. If you have leftover grilled or fried brats, slice them and add them towards the end of the cooking process, ensuring they're heated through. In this case, skip the meatballs.
      • Substitute the sausage meatballs with slices of smoked sausages like Cabanossi or kielbasa. If you have more of those, make these comforting Potato and Sausage Stew or Polish Bigos or Sauerkraut Stew.
    • Beans: Use other beans, either dried and freshly cooked or from a can.
    • Pasta substitutes: You can replace it with cubed potatoes, barley, buckwheat, or rice. Adjust the cooking time accordingly; potatoes may need about 20 minutes, while rice can vary between 12 (Basmati) and 40 minutes (brown rice). Always refer to the package instructions for rice, buckwheat, or barley.

    ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸณHow to make bratwurst soup?

    sauteing onions in a pan and stirring with a wooden spoon.

    Step # 1: Cook the onion and the garlic for about 2 minutes.

    adding tomato paste to sauteed onions in a pan.

    Step # 2: Stir in the blended tomatoes or passata and tomato paste, and cook for about 3 minutes.

    adding bean puree to onions in a pot.

    Step # 3: Blend half of the cooked beans and add them to the pot.

    adding broth to make bratwurst soup in a 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.

    making meatballs with bratwurst meat.

    Step # 5: Remove the sausages' casings and form small meatballs about the size of a cherry. Add them to the soup.

    simmering soup in a pot.

    Step # 6: Cook pasta in the soup, and add parsley and Parmesan before serving.

    โ—Expert Tips

    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.

    Cook a large batch of kidney beans and make this flavorful Indian Rajma Recipe.

    โ“Recipe FAQs

    What's the fastest way to cook the beans?

    The quickest method is using a pressure cooker. 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.

    Can I make a vegetarian version of this soup?

    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.

    soup with meatballs made from bratwurst, beans, pasta and parmesan in a pot.

    ๐Ÿฝ๏ธWhat to serve with the soup?

    Check out 25 ideas on What to Serve with Soup.

    • garlic bread baguette three slices.
      The Best Garlic Bread Baguette
    • a loaf of spelt bread, cut to show the crumb.
      Spelt Bread (No-Knead, No-Rise Bread)
    • golden and shiny yeast rolls made from scratch.
      Homemade Yeast Rolls from Scratch
    • vintage platter with beetroot feta salad with a fork and spoon.
      Beetroot and Feta Salad (with Balsamic Dressing)

    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    ๐Ÿ“–Recipe

    bratwurst soup in a small earthen pot.

    Bratwurst Soup

    This comforting bratwurst soup guarantees a full and happy family. The secret? Tasty meatballs made with bratwurst meat.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Sausages and Bratwurst
    Cuisine: American, German
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 561kcal
    Author: Adina

    Equipment

    • Large soup pot or large Dutch oven
    • Blender
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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 1 liter, Note 4
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ยฝ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 lb brats 450 g, Note 5
    • ยพ cup ditalini 80 g 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/ 450 g
    • 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/ 80 g
    • 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

    1. 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.
    2. Other kinds of beans can be used instead.
    3. Tomatoes: Use the same amount of passata or blended tomatoes from a can instead.
    4. 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 
    5. 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/6 of the soup | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 1414mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 20g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen (Back Road Journal) says

      April 08, 2019 at 10:05 pm

      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.

      Reply
    2. Ron says

      April 04, 2019 at 1:55 pm

      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.

      Reply
    3. angiesrecipes says

      March 31, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      Looks like a very comforting and tasty meal!

      Reply
    4.80 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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