Ah, Lumpensuppe 🍲—a rustic, hearty German-style “everything soup”. It literally translates to something like ragged soup, meaning it’s made with simple, leftover ingredients, but it’s incredibly comforting and filling. Think peasant food in the best way.
Here’s a classic, home-style Lumpensuppe you’d find in southern Germany or Austria.
Lumpensuppe (German Rustic Vegetable & Meat Soup)
Serves: 4–6
Cook time: ~60 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1 leek or celery stalk, sliced
- 1 cup white cabbage or savoy cabbage, shredded
- 4–5 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 cup cooked meat (sausage, bacon, ham, or leftover roast beef)
- ½ tsp marjoram or thyme
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt & black pepper
- Optional: caraway seeds (pinch)
Instructions
- Build the base
- Heat butter or oil in a soup pot.
- Sauté onion until soft.
- Add garlic, paprika, and herbs; cook briefly.
- Add vegetables
- Stir in carrots, potatoes, leek/celery, and cabbage.
- Cook 5 minutes to develop flavor.
- Simmer
- Pour in broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low.
- Simmer 35–45 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add meat
- Stir in cooked meat.
- Simmer another 10 minutes.
- Season & serve
- Adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with rustic bread.
🔥 Traditional Tips
- This soup is meant to be thick, not brothy
- Leftovers taste even better the next day
- Add dumplings (Semmelknödel) or spaetzle for extra heartiness
- Caraway helps with cabbage digestion (very traditional)
🥄 Variations
- Vegetarian Lumpensuppe: Skip meat, add beans or lentils
- Creamy version: Stir in a splash of cream at the end
- Smoky: Use smoked sausage or bacon
- Spicy Alpine style: Add horseradish on the side
If you want, I can also give you a Bavarian version, a slow cooker Lumpensuppe, or a bread dumpling version that’s super traditional 🇩🇪
