Thirteen items and fifty minutes, in one soup pot.
All the Reuben flavours are here. The Swiss is melted into the broth instead of on top, and the rye comes as toast on the side.
Why This Recipe Works
- Softening onion and carrots in butter gives the broth a sweet base.
- Cooking the potatoes in the broth first means they are tender before anything else goes in.
- Ready-to-eat corned beef only needs heating through, so it stays in large chunks.
- Caraway gives the soup the flavour usually carried by rye bread.
- Stirring the Swiss into warm, not boiling, broth melts it smoothly.
Ingredient Notes
- Ready-to-eat cooked corned beef
- Twelve ounces, cut into large chunks. Already cooked, so it just heats through and keeps its shape.
- Drained sauerkraut
- Two cups. These are the pale strands in the soup.
- Swiss cheese
- A cup and a half, shredded, stirred in until it melts into the broth. You won't see it as a topping.
- Dark rye bread
- Toasted and served alongside. The Reuben's rye, in slices rather than in the bowl.
How to Make It
Onion and carrots softened in butter
Melt butter in a soup pot over medium. Cook onion and carrots 5 minutes.
Potatoes and broth simmered until tender
Add potatoes and broth and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Sauerkraut, corned beef and caraway simmered five minutes
Stir in drained sauerkraut, cooked corned beef and caraway and simmer 5 minutes.
Half-and-half added, Swiss melted into the broth
Lower heat, add half-and-half, then stir in Swiss cheese until it melts into the broth rather than forming a visible topping.
Seasoned, chives over, served with rye toast
Season with black pepper, finish with chives, and serve chunky with dark rye toast alongside.
Every Reuben Part, in a Different Place
A Reuben has corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss and rye, and only the first two are easy to see in this soup. The other two are here too: SWISS CHEESE IS MELTED INVISIBLY INTO THE BROTH; RYE APPEARS AS TOASTED BREAD ALONGSIDE. Here is when each part goes in.
First - 5 minutes
2 tbsp UNSALTED BUTTER, 1 small YELLOW ONION, 2 medium CARROTS sliced
Softened over medium. The carrot rounds are a visible component the title doesn't name.
12 to 15 minutes
1 lb diced YUKON GOLD POTATOES and 5 cups LOW-SODIUM BEEF BROTH
SIMMERED UNTIL THE POTATOES ARE TENDER. Potatoes first, because they take the longest and everything after only needs heating.
5 minutes
2 cups DRAINED SAUERKRAUT, 12 oz READY-TO-EAT COOKED CORNED BEEF in large chunks, 1 tsp CARAWAY SEEDS
SIMMERED 5 MINUTES. The pale strands are SAUERKRAUT, and the corned beef is READY-TO-EAT - which is why five minutes is enough: for safety it must be HEATED THOROUGHLY IN THE SOUP. Caraway carries the rye flavour into the bowl.
Heat lowered
1 cup HALF-AND-HALF, then 1 1/2 cups SHREDDED SWISS CHEESE
The Swiss STIRRED IN UNTIL IT MELTS INTO THE BROTH RATHER THAN FORMING A VISIBLE TOPPING. Low heat is what lets it melt smoothly instead of clumping.
To serve
1/2 tsp BLACK PEPPER, 2 tbsp CHOPPED CHIVES, and DARK RYE BREAD, TOASTED
SERVED CHUNKY WITH DARK RYE TOAST ALONGSIDE. Leftovers REFRIGERATED PROMPTLY and REHEATED TO 165°F.
Success Tips
- Drain the sauerkraut well, or the broth turns sharply sour.
- Keep the heat low once the half-and-half and Swiss go in.
- Cut the corned beef into large chunks — the soup is meant to be chunky.
Serving Ideas
Six bowls of chunky, creamy pale-gold soup with large pieces of corned beef, potato, carrot and sauerkraut, finished with chives and served with toasted dark rye.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Swiss cheese?
Melted into the broth. It's stirred in at the end until it disappears into the soup rather than forming a topping.
Should I blend the soup?
No. It's meant to be chunky, with large pieces of corned beef, potato and carrot.
How should I reheat leftovers?
Refrigerate them promptly, then reheat to 165°F. Warm gently so the cheese doesn't separate.
