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This bratwurst soup recipe is loaded with potatoes, vegetables, and a flavorful broth. It’s simple to make, and you can definitely clean out the fridge with this recipe!
Try my Sausage and Vegetable Soup or Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I often buy brats, and using them in soup is a fantastic way to make it extra hearty and comforting. I keep some in my freezer at all times so I can whip up this easy soup with bratwurst sausages any time I have a craving for it, which is pretty often!
This brat soup is actually fairly healthy, yet it’s also nice and filling and cozy and warming. It’s also super flexible, so you can toss in any veggies that you have kicking around that need to be used up. For how few ingredients it has, this bratwurst soup is very delicious.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for pan frying
- Bratwurst sausages – I use Johnsonville brand brats. Their blend of herbs and spices is so tasty! I like to brown the sausage pieces as much as I can (without burning them, of course) to eke out as much flavor as possible.
- Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic – base aromatics and veggies in any good soup
- Beef broth – it adds another layer of richness
- Potatoes – I prefer russets because they fall apart nicely in soups, but any kind of potato works
Pro tip
You could even use leftover brats that you’ve grilled. Just cut them up and throw them in the soup!
How to make bratwurst soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat up the oil in a soup pot. Crumble the sausage, and cook until it browns and crisps up. Spoon out excess fat, but leave some behind for extra flavor. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots, and sauté until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant.
Add the beef broth, water, and potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt & pepper (or seasoning salt/Tony’s seasoning).
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is the Dutch oven pictured. Cooking with cast iron is my fave. I also recommend this sturdy ladle.
- Mince the garlic with a quick squeeze of a garlic press.
- Chop your veggies with a quality chef knife.
Substitutions and variations
- This bratwurst sausage soup is very forgiving. You could throw in other veggies that you need to use up. Kale or spinach would be delicious too. If you wanted to give it a bit of a German feel, throw in some sauerkraut!
- I love the richness the beef broth gives to this soup, but you can replace with chicken broth if needed.
- Don’t have brats? Try using Italian sausages or another kind of sausage instead.
What to serve with bratwurst soup
- Round out the meal with a dinner roll, slice of fresh bread, or some of my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- For a salad, try one with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing and Garlic Parmesan Croutons. A couple of lighter options are my Easy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad or simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through.
- You can freeze this one for up to 6 months.
If you made this brat soup, talk to me in the comments below! Star ratings and reviews are so helpful. You can also tag me on Instagram.
Simple Bratwurst Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound bratwurst sausages
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped
- 3 sticks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- Salt & pepper to taste, see note
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a soup pot or Dutch oven. Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into the pot. Cook it, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausages start to brown/crisp up (about 8-10 minutes).
- Spoon out the excess fat, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons in there.
- Stir in the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes or so.
- Stir in the garlic and let it cook for about 30 seconds, then add the broth, water, and potatoes.
- Increase the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover the pot with the lid slightly open and reduce the heat so it's simmering. Cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and veggies are tender.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- Served 4-6 depending on how much people eat (and if you serve something like bread with it).
- Anything around a pound of sausages will work. Here in Canada Johnsonville brats come in 500g packages, so I will typically just use the whole pack.
- I love to season this soup with Tony’s seasoning or seasoning salt vs. regular salt & pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on April 27, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This soup has great flavor. It was a big hit with everyone.
Fab!! Glad to hear it, Kathy.
A sensational soup! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
We live in Australia and it was unseasonably cold last weekend and this was the perfect dish for a cold/rainy evening by the fireplace.
It was so good in fact I am making it again as we speak! Our house smells incredible (-:
You’re welcome!! I’m so happy that it was a hit! 🙂
I am.cooking it right this very moment and in the final stage of simmering for 20 minutes. It already smelt good from the beginnimg, and I had a quick sip. This is so good, thank you very much!
Awesome!! You’re very welcome!
Did you take the brat out of the casing
Yes
Hi! I’d like to make this in my InstantPot, but my brats are frozen – should I cook the brats first and then add to the soup, of just defrost them first?
thanks!
I think you could probably add them in frozen, just give it a bit of extra time. Otherwise I’d probably just defrost them.
I made this soup last night because I’m SO ready for fall to get here.
It was so simple, but delicious!! I will make again.
Last week I made your creamy mushroom chicken. It was so amazing!!
The sauce was the BOMB!! I couldn’t stop eating it.
I just recently found your blog and loving it.
Thank you.
Yay!! I’m so happy you found me and are enjoying the recipes, Lisa! XO
This Soup went down very nicely during this wintery Sunday in May! It is very nutritious – I had a burst of energy after eating this. Easy, peasy. It’s a keeper.
Thanks Natasha!
I’m so happy to hear that!! Hope it warms up for you soon! Thanks for leaving me a comment, Althea. 🙂
How long would you cook in an Instant Pot?
I do similar soups for 8 minutes.
I cook this in the instapot on the rice setting it came out perfect.
Excellent! The rice setting is simply a pre-set time. Do you recall how many minutes that is?
I love a good soup, but have never thought of putting bratwurst in! Such a clever idea, looks delicious!
Thanks!!
A side question: Do you use store bought beef broth? If so,, which brand do you prefer? There are so many different ones and the few I have tried have not been very flavorful. Thanks!
Hi Bob! I do. I buy Campbell’s brand (it’s the most readily available here in Canada and I don’t mind it at all). Homemade is certainly more flavorful, but also time-consuming.
Thanks!
I love better than bouillon flavor, makes a lot from the little jar and less space wasted on big containers of broth.