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Brennsuppe
Browned flour soup
Brennsuppe (Eingebrannte Suppe): Bavarian browned-flour soup with caraway and chives
Farmhouse kitchens in Upper Bavaria and the Swabian Allgäu once started the day with Brennsuppe, a soup built from almost nothing: flour browned slowly in butter until it smells of hazelnuts, then whisked into water or stock with caraway and onion. Grandmothers still make it on cold evenings or for anyone feeling poorly, with cubes of stale bread toasted in the pan and a heap of chives on top. It tastes far richer than its ingredients suggest. The usual mistake is rushing the roux on a high heat, so it scorches and turns bitter instead of nutty. Chef's tip: whisk the stock in a little at a time while it is cold or lukewarm, and the soup stays perfectly smooth.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 ¾ oz plain flour
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 litre vegetable stockcold or lukewarm
- 1 tsp caraway seedslightly crushed
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 2 slices stale bread or rollscut into cubes
- 3 tbsp chivessnipped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Stir in 1 ¾ oz plain flour and keep stirring for 6–8 minutes until it turns the colour of milky coffee and smells nutty; lower the heat if it darkens at the edges.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 onion and stir for 2 minutes until it softens in the hot roux.
2 minStep 3: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in 1 litre vegetable stock a ladle at a time, whisking out each lump before adding more.
3 minStep 4: Add 1 tsp caraway seeds and ½ tsp dried marjoram, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the soup is lightly thickened and no longer tastes floury. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
10 minStep 5: Meanwhile fry 2 slices stale bread or rolls in ½ oz butter, for the bread in a small pan for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the croutons and 3 tbsp chives.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brennsuppe take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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