3/14/11

Reuben Soup


Do you remember your food "bests"? Like the best cheesecake you ever had, or the best lemon meringue pie? Yes to both of those for me, and another yes to the best reuben sandwich I ever ate. It was last summer in New York City, and it was a four-inch tall behemoth of a sandwich with juicy corned beef, perfectly toasted rye bread and just enough sauerkraut. I was lucky my mother-in-law shared it with me or I would have needed to curl up in a ball and sleep the rest of the day instead of seeing the sights. I don't know if any other reuben sandwich will ever be able to match it, though it certainly hasn't stopped me from eating them.

I thought of that great reuben sandwich a couple months ago when I ran across a newspaper article that had a recipe for a local pub's popular reuben soup. Reuben flavor in a soup? That was something I just had to try. It turns out that corned beef and sauerkraut are just as good together in a soup as they are on rye bread. Throw in some potatoes for body and some seasonings and you've got a pretty darn good soup that in my mind rivals the original sandwich. That is high praise coming from a reuben sandwich fan.

The recipe from the newspaper article was a little vague at times as far as amounts and times, so I'm posting my modifications and amounts that work for me. I've tweaked quite a few things from the original recipe, not the least of which was replace the 2 whole cups of heavy cream with half a cup of half and half. I know it's not likely that any meal with corned beef in it would be considered low-fat, but with less cream I don't feel as guilty about having a second bowl.

And after finishing one bowl, I always want another.



Reuben Soup

Ingredients:

3 medium yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow sweet onion, chopped small
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup water
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tsp pickling spices
1 cup cooked corned beef, chopped medium
1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
2T Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (1/4 tsp is just barely spicy)
Salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley and croutons for garnish

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Increase heat to medium, sprinkle in flour to make a roux and cook one minute. Slowly pour in water, whisking after each addition, until add the water has been incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, half and half, pickling spices, corned beef, sauerkraut, potatoes, caraway seeds, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Taste and add red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Remove bay leaves. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and croutons.

Serving: 4 to 6


Recipe Source: Inspired by the Green Pig Pub

11 Click For Comments:

Oh this looks so good. This is one of my fav sandwiches so I absolutely cannot wait to try it as a soup.

This soup looks incredible! You really can't beat a reuben sandwich and I bet this soup is just as tasty! :)

This looks fabulous! Just incredible!

Great blog; happy I found you!

Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls

Oh yes! I'm going to give this a try!
Karen W

I love this! Reuben is definitely one of my favorite sandwiches. And I love that a 4 inch high sandwich inspired this soup.

Thanks, everyone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

@Jenna - I believe everything good starts with a 4 inch high sandwich. I fully expect your engagement story to include one.

What a fun idea turning a sandwich in to a soup. Now it's got me thinking of other possibilities.

this is so creative! i love it:) thank you for sharing this post.

Nicole -thank you so much for stopping by and commenting on my blog! :)
I absolutely love the name of your blog - so perfect!
My Dad's favorite sandwich is a reuben. He really goes crazy when my Mom makes them...lol. I have to make this for him. I know he would love it!!

I really like the sound of a reuben soup! Great idea for leftover corned beef!

Omg, Reuben soup!? I'm in love! Reubens are probably my favorite hot sandwich ever and I'm pretty darn good at making them....at least that's what a NY Jewish man told me years ago when my mom's small town cafe was open! I miss them, though....kosher deli corned beef and good rye is pretty non-existent in England...I sub with pastrami and Polish rye (which tastes more like sourdough)...good, but not the same! I'll definitely have to try this, though!

Post a Comment

 
Pin It button on image hover