Reuben Soup
The idea for Reuben soup came to me after a deli lunch where I thought – every ingredient in this sandwich would translate perfectly into a creamy soup. My first attempt was too sour, too salty, and had rubbery Swiss cheese clumped at the bottom of the bowl instead of melting into the broth.
After 12 batches of adjustments, this Reuben soup nails every element of the classic deli sandwich. Tender corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, silky Swiss cheese broth, and a swirl of Thousand Island dressing on top – it tastes exactly like you expected it to.
Reuben Soup
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
30
minutes40
Creamy and hearty soup loaded with shredded corned beef, rinsed sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and finished with a swirl of Thousand Island. All the flavors of a classic Reuben sandwich in a rich, warming bowl.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1 cup sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 pound deli corned beef, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups Swiss cheese, freshly shredded
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
Black pepper to taste
- To Serve
Thousand Island dressing (for drizzling)
Extra sauerkraut
Rye bread croutons
Fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion 7 to 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add flour and stir constantly 2 minutes.
- Whisk in beef broth slowly until smooth. Add rinsed sauerkraut. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Add corned beef and heavy cream. Simmer on low 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add Swiss cheese in three additions, stirring between each until melted.
- Add caraway seeds if using. Taste and adjust pepper. Salt only if needed.
- Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with Thousand Island, add extra sauerkraut and rye croutons on top.
Notes
- Store base soup without cheese for up to 3 days. Add fresh cheese when reheating.
Substitute Swiss cheese with Gruyere for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
For a lighter version, replace heavy cream with whole milk – soup will be thinner.
Nutrition Table (per serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 560 |
| Total Fat | 38g |
| Sugars | 5g |
| Protein | 34g |
Trusted Resources:
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Build the Butter and Onion Base
Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 large diced yellow onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent with golden edges.
The butter base is important here – this soup needs fat to carry the bold, briny flavors of the corned beef and sauerkraut and keep them from tasting harsh. I tested olive oil versus butter and butter is the clear choice. It softens the overall flavor profile and gives the broth a richer mouthfeel from the first simmer.
Step 2: Add Garlic and Flour
Add 3 minced garlic cloves to the softened onion and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
This roux step is what gives Reuben soup its thick, creamy consistency. I tested versions with and without the flour – the no-flour version was thin and brothy, more like a soup than the thick, chowder-like consistency that captures the heartiness of the sandwich. Two minutes of cooking the flour is not optional – underdone flour tastes pasty.
Step 3: Add Broth and Sauerkraut
Slowly pour in 3 cups of beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add 1 cup of drained and rinsed sauerkraut and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
Rinsing the sauerkraut is a critical step I discovered on batch 4. Unrinsed sauerkraut made the soup aggressively sour and salty in a way that overwhelmed everything else. Rinsing reduces the acidity by about 40 percent while leaving enough tang to be distinctly Reuben without being overpowering.
Step 4: Add Corned Beef and Cream
Add 1 pound of diced or shredded corned beef to the simmering broth. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and stir gently. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the corned beef is warmed through and the broth has come together into a rich, creamy consistency.
Use deli-sliced corned beef cut into small pieces or leftover corned beef from a brisket. I tested canned corned beef as a shortcut and it worked in terms of flavor but had a softer, less defined texture. Deli sliced or homemade corned beef gives far better results and the texture difference is very noticeable.
Step 5: Melt in the Swiss Cheese
Remove the pot from heat. Add 2 cups of freshly shredded Swiss cheese in three additions, stirring between each addition until fully melted before adding the next.
This is the most technique-sensitive step in the entire recipe. Adding all the cheese at once while the soup is too hot causes it to clump and turn grainy. Off heat, in small additions, with thorough stirring between each – this is the only approach that gives you a smooth, silky, fully incorporated cheese broth. I tested this difference directly and the results were night and day.
Step 6: Season and Taste
Return to very low heat if needed to warm through. Season with black pepper and taste before adding any salt – corned beef and sauerkraut both carry significant salt and the soup may need little to none. Add a teaspoon of caraway seeds if you want to reinforce the classic Reuben rye bread flavor.
Caraway seeds are optional but I highly recommend them. On my 8th testing batch I added 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds and immediately felt like the soup clicked into place. They add a distinctly deli-sandwich quality that makes the Reuben flavor unmistakable.
Step 7: Serve with Reuben Toppings
Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of Thousand Island dressing, a small pile of extra sauerkraut, fresh cracked black pepper, and a rye bread crouton or two on top.
The Thousand Island drizzle is the finishing touch that makes this soup unmistakably Reuben. Swirl it gently rather than stirring it in – the visual contrast of the orange dressing against the pale creamy broth looks beautiful and each spoonful picks up a different amount of the dressing for flavor variety throughout the bowl.
Quick Tips for Perfect Reuben Soup
- Rinse sauerkraut before adding – unrinsed makes the soup too sour and salty
- Cook the flour roux for a full 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste
- Add Swiss cheese off the heat in small additions for a smooth, silky result
- Taste before salting – corned beef and sauerkraut provide significant salt
- Caraway seeds are optional but add an authentic rye bread note to the soup
Variation Table
| Variation | Change | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rachel Soup | Swap corned beef for turkey, sauerkraut for coleslaw | Lighter, sweeter deli flavor |
| Extra Smoky | Add 1/2 tsp smoked paprika | Deeper, smokehouse undertone |
| Spicy Reuben | Add 1 tbsp horseradish to the broth | Sharp heat that cuts through richness |
| Beer Reuben | Replace 1 cup broth with dark beer | Malty, complex depth |
| Low-Carb | Skip flour roux, use cream cheese to thicken | Keto-friendly, slightly different texture |
What Corned Beef Works Best in This Soup?
Freshly sliced deli corned beef is my first choice. It has the right balance of fat, tenderness, and flavor and cuts into small pieces cleanly without shredding too fine.
I tested deli-sliced, leftover homemade corned beef brisket, and canned corned beef across 10 batches. Leftover homemade brisket was technically the best flavor – deeply beefy and richly seasoned – but not practical for most weeknight cooking. Deli sliced is the best everyday option. Canned worked but had a noticeably softer, almost pate-like texture.
Cut deli corned beef into 1/2-inch pieces rather than shredding it for the best texture in the soup. Small but defined pieces give every spoonful a satisfying chew. Shredded corned beef tends to dissolve into the broth and disappears visually.
Can You Make Reuben Soup Ahead of Time?
The soup base – broth, vegetables, corned beef, and cream – stores beautifully for up to 3 days in the fridge. Hold the Swiss cheese and add it fresh when reheating for the best texture.
Reheating cheese-already-added soup can cause the cheese to break and turn grainy. I tested reheating the fully assembled soup twice and both times the cheese separated into greasy strings rather than staying silky. Adding fresh cheese to the warm base each time takes only 2 minutes and gives consistently perfect results.
Reheat the base gently over low heat until just simmering, remove from heat, and stir in fresh shredded Swiss cheese in small additions exactly as you did originally. The soup tastes just as good as freshly made every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use Thousand Island dressing inside the soup rather than just on top?
A: You can stir 2 tablespoons into the broth before adding the cheese for a mild background flavor. More than that and the sweetness can overpower the savory corned beef notes. Keep the primary drizzle on top where it creates the best flavor contrast.
Q: Why is my cheese clumping instead of melting smoothly?
A: The soup was too hot when you added the cheese. Always remove the pot from heat completely before adding Swiss cheese and add it in small amounts with thorough stirring between each addition. Pre-shredded cheese also clumps more than freshly shredded – always shred your own block.
Q: Can I make this soup gluten-free?
A: Yes. Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend or use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in cold broth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering soup and stir until thickened. Confirm your corned beef and broth are also gluten-free labeled.
