Flädlesuppe is our favourite German Pancake Soup recipe.
Flädlesuppe, also known as Fladlesuppe, Flädle, German Pancake Soup and Pancake Soup, is an authentic dish from southern Germany.
The popular German soup recipe originated in the region of Schwaben and is made of thin savory pancakes flavoured with fresh herbs. It is quick and easy to make, ready to serve in under an hour.
You’ll love spooning through a bowl of homemade Flädlesuppe German Pancake Soup featuring chives, leeks and parsley.
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What Is Soup?
Soup is a liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but can also be served cold like gazpacho), that is prepared by combining meat or vegetables with stock or water.
Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavours are extracted, creating a rich broth.
Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two. Soups generally have more liquid (broth) than chunkier and heartier stews.
In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two groups: clear soups (bouillon and consomme) and thick soups (purees, bisques, veloutes).
Purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream.
History of Soup
Evidence of the existence of soup can be found as far back as about 20,000 BC. Boiling was not a common cooking technique until the invention of waterproof containers, such as clay pots. To boil the water hot rocks were used.
The word soup comes from French soupe (broth), which comes through Vulgar Latin suppa (“bread soaked in broth”) from a Germanic source, from which also comes the word “sop”, a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew.
The word restaurant (meaning “restoring”) was first used in France in the 16th century, to refer to a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as a cure to physical exhaustion. In 1765, a Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop specializing in such soups. This prompted the use of the modern word restaurant for eating establishments.
In America, the first colonial cookbook was published by William Parks in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1742, based on Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife; or Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion, and it included several recipes for soups and bisques.
English cooking dominated early colonial cooking; but as new immigrants arrived from other countries, other national soups gained popularity. In particular, German immigrants living in Pennsylvania were famous for their potato soups. In 1794, Jean Baptiste Gilbert Payplat dis Julien, a refugee from the French Revolution, opened an eating establishment in Massachusetts called The Restorator, and became known as the “Prince of Soups”.
Travel to Germany by Cooking Fladlesuppe Pancake Soup at Home
I love traveling to Europe.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Europe, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best German Pancake Soup recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at German restaurants throughout Western Europe in Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Austria.
On a road trip of Germany, I’ve slurped through steaming bowls of traditional Flädlesuppe at restaurants in Freiburg, Berlin, Ahrenshoop, Hamburg, Spreewald, Potsdam, Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Cochem, Mettlach, Nennig, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Munich, Koblenz and Rudesheim.
Flädle is a southern German dish from the region of Schwaben, derived from savoury pancakes. In neighbouring Austria, Flädle is called Frittaten; the word frittaten is derived from the Italian frittata (frying).
The Flädle are made as thin, crepe-style pancakes known as palatschinken, that are tightly rolled up and sliced into spiralling coils. They are usually served in a clear beef broth, known together as Flädlessuppe.
After you’ve enjoyed your first few sips, you’ll realize why a steaming bowl of authentic Fladlesuppe is a must-try when visiting Germany!
Where To Eat Authentic German Pancake Soup
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local German restaurant that serves traditional Fladlesuppe.
Haven’t traveled to Germany before? It may be helpful to first sample traditional Fladlesuppe at a local restaurant to better understand how the soup is served. You’ll get an idea of how many sliced pancakes to add to each bowl and the desired herb aroma and flavour. You’ll also find inspiration on what to pair with Pancake Soup including Sauerbraten, Schweinshaxe, Rinderroulade, Kartoffelpuffer and Kartoffelkloesse.
In Toronto, popular restaurants serving German dishes that may offer Fladlesuppe include Country Style Hungarian, Wvrst, Otto’s Bierhalle, Little Bavaria, Cafe Polonez and Europe Bar and Restaurant.
My Family Loves German Pancake Soup
My family has a tradition of eating soup and salad for lunch on Sunday’s after getting home from church. Soup is such an simple and brainless meal to serve a busy family with kids.
My dad would often make cream of tomato soup and serve a bowl with grilled cheese sandwiches and pickles. Our family also loved slurping through bowls of Butternut Squash Soup, French Onion Soup and Chicken Noodle Soup.
Some of the fondest memories of my childhood spent in Toronto, Markham, Oakville and Muskoka are cozying up to a bowl of homemade soup with gourmet crackers, artisanal cheese and sourdough bread.
During October in Ontario we’d often visit popular Fall Fairs in Norfolk County, Niagara and Prince Edward County to go on fun rides, run through corn mazes and purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables at the peak of harvest season.
Carrot, celery, parsley, leek and chives are available in abundance year round in Canada but we especially love to serve this savoury soup during Thanksgiving and the chilly winter season.
The best German Soup with pancakes is full of fragrant herbs and rich onion flavour thanks to chives, scallions and leek. The simple and restorative beef broth incorporates nutritious ingredients into your diet during the colder months of the year.
Fladlesuppe Health Benefits
Our German Soup recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of leeks can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
An excellent source of vitamin A and the phytochemical beta-carotene, carrots help keep your eyes and bones healthy, and may help protect against several types of cancer.
Celery is a great source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation and supports digestions.
Eggs contain two vital nutrients that are not present in many foods: iodine and vitamin D. Eggs are also rich in tissue-building protein and vitamin B12, which helps your body manufacture blood cells.
An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.
German Soup Tips
This healthy German Soup with fresh herb pancakes is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few tips for first time soup makers!
- Use a large cast iron dutch oven with a high rim to reduce splatter when cooking and pureeing the vegetables.
- We suggest using a high quality rubber spatula spoon when making soup so you can easily stir, scrape down the side of the pot and sip to check if it needs to be seasoned further with more salt before spooning into bowls.
- There are many regional variations of German Pancake Soup. Soup soups do not include celery and carrot, you’re simply served a beef broth with sliced crepes. Our German pancakes are flavoured with chopped chives, giving them an appealing flecked-green appearance. You can also make a basic pancake batter without chives.
- If you’re vegetarian feel free to substitute beef stock for vegetable stock or mushroom broth.
- Add a dollop of decadence to your German soup by spooning sour cream onto the top of your floating sliced crepes.
What To Serve with German Pancake Soup
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold day then cozying up to a bowl of soup with a fresh salad, gourmet crackers, artisanal cheeses, sourdough bread, savoury muffins and homemade pickles.
If you’re hosting a German-themed dinner party you might also want to serve German Pork Rouladen with Bacon, Apple & Pickles, Kartoffelknödel German Potato Dumplings, Semmelknödel German Bread Dumplings and Speckknödel German Bread Bacon Dumplings.
After dinner why not dazzle your guests with one of our popular desserts such as Oat Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies, Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe or Cinnamon Babka For Chocolate Lovers.
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Storing Fladlesuppe
If you have leftover German Soup you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. To reheat simply zap it in the microwave or simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.
We love doubling our soup recipes so can store leftovers in the freezer and save time on cooking in the kitchen. We suggest storing leftover soup in Pyrex freezer safe containers that have a snug lid so there’s not spilling. My mother often uses old glass pasta sauce jars to store soup in the freezer.
Be sure to let your soup reach room temperature before storing it in the freezer. If you add a hot jar of soup to a cold freezer it will significantly reduce the interior temperature and potentially spoil your food.
How To Make Fladlesuppe German Pancake Soup
Fladlesuppe German Pancake Soup
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
- blender
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Large pot or Dutch Oven
- French knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp White sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Chives chopped
- 4 cups Beef broth
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Leek thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Scallion finely chopped
- 1 Carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 Celery rib chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Blend the flour, salt, sugar, milk, eggs and butter in a blender until you've created a smooth pancake batter. Add chopped chives and stir until fully combined. Chill the pancake batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Pour ¼ cup of batter onto a greased, hot non-stick pan and swirl around the pan to thin the batter out. Carefully peel and flip when edges of the German crepe begin to peel up off the pan. Cook the other side for 30 seconds.
- Cover the crepes with a dish towel and chill for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the leek, celery, green onion, and carrots for 5 minutes.
- Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and set aside.
- Stack the room temperature German pancakes on a cutting board and thinly slice using a French knife.
- Serve German Pancake Soup warm, with a handful of sliced crepes on top.
Nutrition
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