A delicious minced meat and leek soup with creamy processed cheese should not be missing at any celebration. Our grandma always prepared it the day before, because it tastes even better when it is well done!
The secret for a hearty taste
What’s better than a soup with minced meat (mince)? A minced meat soup with cheese! For a nice hearty taste, there are two things to keep in mind:
- Let the mince brown well before you go on. Let it cook a little in the broth before you add the rest of the ingredients, this gives a rich meat flavor.
- Don’t be stingy with the processed cheese. The more you add, the stronger the flavor.
Did your cheese and leek soup curdle?
When you put the cheese in, you can’t let the soup boil. The cheese will curdle and the soup won’t be creamy. Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt while stirring. That way it’s guaranteed to work!
Which processed cheese to use?
Since the cheese largely determines the taste of the soup, it’s best not to use the cheapest processed cheese. A nice processed cheese with herbs, small bacon cubes or cream harmonizes best.
Variations
Depending on your taste, you can of course change the composition of your minced leek soup.
- If you like it cheesier, use more processed cheese and less ground beef.
- You want more vegetables, use more leeks and less mince
- For a vegetarian soup, just omit the mince and use vegetable stock and possibly soy shreds or carrots. For a full flavor, you can add 2 egg yolks and whisk before serving.
- For a more filling soup, you can add potato chunks and possibly mash them with a blender before adding in the ground meat and leeks.
- Basting: Put the soup in a grill-proof soup pot and grate some Emmenthaler or Maasdam cheese over it. Put the pot under the grill and let the cheese get crispy. Tastes deliciously hearty!
- Instead of processed cheese, just use real cheese. But there are a few things to watch out for. You can find a recipe for minced meat and leek soup with real cheese here.
Cheese and leek soup during pregnancy
You can safely eat this soup during pregnancy. Some pregnant women have reported increased bloating afterwards, which is normal with leeks. However, it is not recommended to eat leeks when breastfeeding.
What is the shelf life of the soup?
In the refrigerator, the soup will keep for up to 1 week. At room temperature, the soup should be consumed within 2 days of cooking because the leeks in the soup tend to ferment. It’s best to always store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Grandma says:
Always rely on your sense of smell and the appearance of food. If it smells unpleasant or the color changes, better leave it alone. Also, in our soup, small bubbles are a sign that it is starting to ferment and should be discarded.
You can also freeze the minced meat, cheese and leek soup in suitable containers without any problems.
Discover other German recipes: Traditional Tasty German Apple Cake Recipe, Delicious German asparagus cream soup or the Red French style Onion Soup
German cheese and leek soup with minced meat
Ingredients
- 1 lb minced beef
- 2 cups vegetable stock or beef stock
- 10 ½ oz processed cheese natural or with herbs
- ½ cups sour cream or crème fraiche
- 2 leeks
- 1 onion white small
- 2 cloves of garlic
- nutmeg grated
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tsp vinegar e.g. white wine vinegar, table vinegar or apple vinegar
Instructions
- First peel the onion and garlic and cut both into fine cubes. Clean the leeks carefully. Use only about ⅔ of the leek stem, i.e. the white part and the beginning of the green part. The dark green part is too hard and is not used. Cut the leek into fine rings.
- Heat the butter in a large pot. Add the minced meat and crush it into coarse crumbs with a wooden spoon or plastic spoon. Fry everything until it starts to brown.
- Now add the diced onion and let everything cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and increase the heat again until the garlic is lightly browned.
- Now add the stock and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Only now add the leek rings and save a few for decoration. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Now stir in the processed cheese and let it melt while stirring. The soup should no longer boil, only simmer. Season the soup with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Turn off the heat, now add the sour cream and mix well. Now your cheese and leek soup is ready to serve.
All content 100% human written!Copyright © by Susanne Queck und Wunderlander Verlag LLC. Original on easygermanfood.com. Unauthorized republication of all or part of the text is prohibited.Image credit: Unless otherwise noted: ©Pro Stock Media via Canva.com or ©Unsplash.com.
Oh my, I looked for a recipe like thsi all over! My grandmother used to cook it and making it at home, gave me such a warm feeling. Amazing taste, thanks.