German Beer and Cheddar Soup

We couldn’t make a book on German foods and leave out the famous combination of beer and cheese! This soup cooks up in half an hour, and it even contains some hidden vegetables for nutrition. Serve it with a dense, flavorful bread.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 min. | Cooking time 25 min.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 16 ounces beer
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (plus more for topping)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, for topping

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter. Add the carrot, apple, onion, and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Sprinkle on the flour. Cook and stir until the flour begins to darken, 2–3 minutes.
3. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the beer and mustard and stir until it stops foaming.
4. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until thickened.
5. Add the cream, cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Mix until everything is combined. Taste, and correct the seasonings if desired.
6. Serve hot with a topping of chives and extra cheese.

 

 

Pretzels

You can’t have a proper selection of German foods without the beloved pretzel. Crisp on the outside, deliciously moist and chewy inside, these are excellent with a beer and cheddar sauce or mustard.

Serves 24 | Prep. time 20 min. | Rest time  1 hour | Cooking time 20 min.

Ingredients

• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• ¾ cup milk, lukewarm
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ¼ cup baking soda
• Coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
3. Add the milk and oil.
4. Mix the salt into the whole wheat flour and add it to the bowl, together with 2 cups of the all-purpose flour. Mix until it is well combined, adding add more flour if it’s needed to make the dough form a ball.
5. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. When the dough has almost finished rising, combine the baking soda with 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and keep it hot.
7. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
8. Split the dough in half and separate each half into 12 equal pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches long. Form circles with the ends overlapping, twist the ends, and fold the tips down to join with the circle. Repeat until all the pretzels are formed. Place them back on the sheets to rise for 10 more minutes.
10. In small batches, lower the pretzels into the simmering soda water and remove them when they rise to the top. Place them back on the sheets and sprinkle them with salt.
11. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Cabbage Rolls with Gravy (Kohlrouladen)

We’re used to seeing cabbage rolls in tomato sauce, but many German family recipes use beef gravy instead. We highly recommend you try it with a side of creamy mashed potatoes.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 30 min. | Cooking time 45 min.

Ingredients

For the kohlrouladen

• 1 head of cabbage (large leaves only)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

For the sauce

• 1 can beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 cups mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions

1. Place the cabbage in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer, turning the cabbage often, until you can peel off the outer large leaves without tearing them. Repeat until you have enough large leaves to work with (10–12).
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a baking dish.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, onion, and spices for the filling.
4. Spoon a portion of the beef filling onto a cabbage leaf and roll, tucking in the sides. If your leaves are very thin, you may choose to add another layer. Secure the roll with a toothpick and place the cabbage roll in the baking dish. Repeat until you have used all the filling.
5. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour them over the rolls. Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat filling reaches 165°F.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the rolls with a spoonful of the gravy and a side of mashed potatoes.

 

 

Pork Schnitzel

German schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel) is made with pork, as opposed to the Austrian version, Weinerschnitzel, which is made with veal. These delicious cutlets are often accompanied by a side of Spaetzle. You can serve them plain with a splash of lemon and parsley, as shown, or with a thick mushroom sauce (and then you would call it Jäegerschnitzel.)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 min. | Cooking time 15 min.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• Canola oil for frying

Mushroom gravy

• 2 tablespoons bacon grease (or butter)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups condensed beef broth
• Dash balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Start by preparing the gravy, if using. (If not, skip to step 7.)
2. In a skillet, melt the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until golden.
3. Add the garlic and cook 1–2 more minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and the liquid has evaporated.
5. Add the butter and sprinkle on the flour, stirring to coat everything. Let it cook another minute or two.
6. Add the broth, vinegar, thyme, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cover and let it simmer on low while you cook the pork, stirring occasionally.
7. One at a time, place the pork chops between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to a thickness of ¼ inch. Season them on both sides, using 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
8. Arrange a dipping station. In one bowl, combine the flour with the remaining salt. In a second bowl, beat the eggs. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
9. Heat the oil to 335°F. It should be deep enough to immerse the meat.
10. Dip the pork to coat both sides and the edges in flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs onto the meat.
11. Immediately after coating the chops, slide them into the oil. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden.

 

 

Beer Grilled Chicken

Combine the flavors of beer, mustard, and lemon in this delicious barbecued chicken.

Serves 6 | Prep. time 15 min. | Cooking time 30 min.

Ingredients

• ½ cup peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons grainy German mustard
• 1 cup dark German beer
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces

Directions

1. In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine the oil, mustard, beer, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and rosemary.
2. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Preheat the grill over medium heat and oil the grates.
4. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them on the grill; discard the marinade.
5. Cook until the skin is crisp, turning the pieces to brown them all over. Reduce the heat, cover the grill, and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve with a good German mustard and your choice of sides.

 

 

Traditional German Potato Salad

The main difference between traditional German potato salad and the creamy kind you might be more used to is that in authentic German recipes we tend to cook the sauce ahead of time, there’s no mayo, and we include savory ingredients like beef broth.

Serves 8–10 | Prep. time 15 min. | Chill time 30 min. | Cooking time 20 min.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes and simmer them in salted water until tender. Drain and let them cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp, and then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set the bacon aside.
3. In the hot bacon fat, cook the onions until browned. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and salt, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Carefully slice the hot potatoes into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot onion mixture over the potatoes and toss them to coat.
5. Heat the broth in the skillet and simmer to reduce it by half. Pour it over the potatoes. Stir gently.
6. Top with the chopped bacon and parsley. Serve immediately.

 

 

Apple Strudel

Traditional strudel dough is made with only a few ingredients, and would have been hand stretched so thin it would cover a table. But you don’t need to be an expert to give this a try – it will taste wonderful even if the dough is not paper thin.

Serves 6 | Prep. time 45 min. | Cooking time 50 min.

Ingredients

For the dough

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• ⅓ cup water, lukewarm

For the apple filling

• ⅓ cup sultana raisins
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 3 large apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup pecans, walnuts or almonds, finely chopped

To assemble

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the rum and raisins. Mix well and set them aside to soak.
2. Combine the ingredients for the dough and mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Heat a medium saucepan under hot running water. Dry it well and line it with parchment. Place the dough in the pot, cover it, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel and chop the apples. In a medium bowl, toss them with the lemon juice and season with the cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Drain the raisins and add them to the filling, together with the nuts.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. On your worktop, lay out a clean, thin kitchen towel and sprinkle it with the flour. Roll the dough out as thin as you can on the towel.
7. Brush a little of the melted butter on the dough, and use your hands to spread the dough out until you have a rectangle about 12×18 inches (as thin as you can). Arrange the dough so the long side is in front of you.
8. Brush half the melted butter on the dough. Leaving a 6-inch strip on the right side and a 2-inch margin on the long edges, sprinkle the breadcrumbs along the center down the length of the dough.
9. Spread the apple filling on the breadcrumbs, but leave any juices in the bowl.
10. Fold the 2-inch edges over the filling. Starting from the short edge opposite the 6-inch margin, gently roll up the strudel using the towel to help.
11. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet and brush it with butter. Bake for about 50 minutes, brushing it twice more with butter while it bakes.
12. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm.

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Germany: Traditional German Cooking Made Easy with Authentic German Recipes. To get your copy, click on the cover or click here.

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