German Cheese and Leek Soup with Ground Pork

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A popular German cheese and leek soup with ground pork, a thick and savory dish that everybody loves.

This German cheese and leek soup is one of my mother-in-law’s signature dishes, just like the German Beef Soup with Marrow Dumplings or the Salad “Torte”, that is: a dish I have eaten more often in her house than in my own.

It was one of the first dishes I have ever eaten upon arriving in Germany and, ever since, I have eaten it more often than I could count, not only in my mother-in-law’s house but in some of my neighbors’ and friends’ houses as well, most people I know make it on a regular basis.

What do you need?

This German cheese soup with pork and leeks is very easy to make, it needs only a few and cheap ingredients. Still, due to the cheese and meat, it is so extremely filling that one relatively small pot goes a long way, that means you can feed quite a few people with it, most of them will be full after one bowl and will not take seconds.

But not because it’s not good, it is absolutely delicious, no wonder it has been such a hit around here for more than 30 years now, my mother-in-law told me she got the recipe sometimes in the 1980’s.

Leeks:

Leeks are super popular in Germany, you can buy them at any time of the year, they are always huge and very cheap. I cook them often, if you like them, you should try this Romanian Leek and Black Olive Stew, it is amazing.

How to clean leeks?

• Leeks are easy to work with, cleaning them is the only thing you have to pay special attention to.
• They have many layers and dirt finds its way deep inside the layers, at the transition between the white and the green part of the vegetable. Separate the layers and thoroughly wash the leek in between the layers.
• Put the tip of a small sharp knife about 1 cm/ 0.4 inches below the beginning of the green part, just before the transition of the two colors, where the leek begins to open.
• Slit from there to the end of the green part without cutting it all the way through.
• Carefully fan open the layers without taking the stalk apart. Rinse under running water until all the dirt is removed.

Cheese:

• You will need the spreadable, soft, melted cheese that comes in triangles. It is called Schmelzkäse in Germany, meaning melting cheese. I actually had to ask somebody living in America about this kind of cheese, because I didn’t know how it is called there.
• The answer was funny: laughing cow cheese (Amazon affiliate link). It probably comes from one brand selling this kind of cheese. I remember that in Romania I was also able to buy the melting cheese with the laughing cow on it.
• Buy the original flavor or something like cheddar flavor.

Pork:

• My mother-in-law always cooks this recipe with the so-called “Mett”, which is ground pork spiced with salt, pepper, a bit of garlic, and a little caraway. Mett is usually sold to be eaten raw with buns and onions. Not my thing, I have to say.
• However, I like cooked Mett in this combination, it is basically just spiced ground pork. If you don’t live in Germany, you will probably not be able to buy Mett, so use plain ground pork instead.

How to make leek cheese soup with pork?

• Clean the leeks very thoroughly as instructed above. Chop. Chop the onion as well.
• Heat the oil in a large pot.
• Fry the meat until brown, add ground caraway, garlic, some salt, and pepper. If using Mett, you will not have to spice the meat.
• Add the chopped veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add broth and bring to a simmer.
• Cook for about 20 minutes or until soft.
• Add the cheese broken in small pieces to the soup and stir very well until completely smooth with no lumps of cheese remaining.
• Let simmer for a couple of minutes. The dish is supposed to be very thick, but you could add a bit more broth if you find it too thick.
• Adjust the taste with salt and ground black pepper. Be generous with the pepper.
• Sprinkle with chopped chives.

How to serve the cheesy leek soup?

This ground pork leek dish is a meal in itself, you will not need much on the side except some bread. You can serve it with crusty white bread, sourdough bread, or dinner rolls.

The dish is a very popular choice for party food in Germany. I cannot even count the many times I was served this at one party or another, it’s easy to make, very filling, cheap and everybody loves it!

The following ingredients are enough for about 6 people, but the soup can be easily doubled or tripled. You just have to find a pot that is large enough…

The recipe can be made in advance and reheated.

More soups:

• Vegetable Meatball Soup
• Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
• Pizza Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk
• Bratwurst Soup
• Lamb Bone Soup