German Potato Soup
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Yield: Serves 6 to 8 hungry people.
Ingredients:
3 slices bacon3 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine (leaves OK)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
rivels (mixture follows)
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
Chop bacon fine and fry in a skillet until crisp and brown. Put the cooked bacon in a large saucepan and add potatoes, onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and cook until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Dribble the rivels into gently boiling soup, stirring constantly so they stay separate. Add milk and butter and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, or until rivels are done.Rivels are little homemade egg noodles. They are good in beef and chicken stew, as well as in vegetable soups:
Pour 1 cup flour on a flat surface such as a cutting board. Make a well in the center, then pour in a slightly beaten egg to which 1 teaspoon salt has been added. Using your hands and a knife, work these 3 ingredients together into a noodle-type pastry. Knead once or twice, then chop it into small pea-size pieces.
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This is a great recipe. My mother made this soup all the time when I was growing up. (She still makes it!) She would also add sliced hard boiled egg into the soup. If you like, you can also make it without the bacon, which is what I do and then add a spoon of butter. It’s a nice comfort food.
It was just wonderful.
When I came across this recipe it was in Recipes with a History and had the name Spook Soup. The family made this soup at Halloween time to have when the children came home from getting their Halloween treats and the rivels in the soup were called little ghost. I made this soup and was very pleased at the outcome. It is the best-tasting Potato Soup I have ever eaten. Will make this many times over my lifetime.
My grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch and born in 1895. This recipe was exactly like the potato soup she made. If you use 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 cup water as a substitute for the milk, it makes the soup a little richer. I also use freshly ground black pepper – a little more than this recipe calls for. Try it !
I’ve made this soup many times, and it’s the best potato soup ever! My recipe was getting tattered from so much use, so I’m thrilled to find it online.
This is the same recipe my grandmother made for me as far back as I can remember and which she taught me. It can’t be beat for flavor and being filling on a cold winter’s day. Plus it lends well to you adding your own personal touches and changes. Make it once and you will have a family favorite.
My mom would make this on cold winter days to warm us up after a day outside. It’s also a great comfort food!
We always had a fresh chopped onion to sprinkle on top along with a teaspoon of cider vinegar. The added crunch and tart taste was great. We had this nearly every day for lunch in the summer when I was growing up. This is a real comfort food.
Try a little different flavor. Add a small amount of grated cheese (cheddar or mozzarella) in the bottom of bowl before adding soup.