This super easy German pork soup gets its mild, smoky flavor from brined, smoked pork chops that shred apart into pulled pork goodness! It's light, yet creamy, and finished with ultra-thin German soup noodles. This soup is absolutely perfect if you’re craving an authentic German food experience at home. While this soup traditionally simmers for hours in a soup pot on the stove, I know you will love my quick Instant Pot method!
The pork used in this soup is prepared in the style of German Kassler meat. This authentic German pork specialty is similar to ham, but harder to get in the United States. I found the best stateside Kassler at my favorite German-style butcher Schaller & Weber. A recipe for my homemade version is coming to the blog soon! If you can't find Kassler, use a ham that's not too smoky.
This soup instantly takes me back to my Oma Sieghilde’s kitchen in Germany - it's a pure German comfort food to me and perfect for a rainy day. While Kassler is most traditionally served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, putting it in this soup is my FAVORITE way to eat Kassler!
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Why you’ll love this German soup!
It’s easy! It’s a dump-and-go Instant Pot recipe for the most part! Total prep time is minimal and after the pork cooks, this soup takes only a few minutes to finish.
It’s authentic. This is straight from my Oma’s table in the German village of Kasel near Trier, Germany. My sister and I often ate it there after school and we still love it today.
What is Kassler?
‘Kassler’ is brined and smoked pork, usually from the neck or loin, invented in Berlin by a butcher named 'Cassel.' I like using pork chops instead. The meat turns out tender, juicy, and full of savory, smoky flavor!
In Germany, you’ll find Kassler in butcher shops and grocery stores, especially in the fall and winter. In the U.S., it’s harder to come by. As a substitute, you can use a mild smoked ham.
You can make Kassler at home by brining and smoking it and I have a recipe for that coming soon!
Ingredient deep dive
The meat does the heavy lifting in this recipe and only few ingredients are needed, so let's chat about them in detail. Skip to the recipe card for detailed ingredient amounts.
Smoked & Brined Pork Chops. Look for pork chops that are both brined and smoked. Bone-in pork chops are even better for the flavor, so that's a bonus! If you can’t find them ready-made, you might need to brine and smoke them yourself. In Germany, you would use Kasseler meat (usually made from pork neck).
If you need a recommendation of a place to buy it in the United States, check out my favorite US-based German butcher! You can order Kasseler Rippchen online from Schaller & Weber (sponsor)! Use code DIRNDL10 for 10% off your order.
If you can't find Kassler, use a mild smoked ham instead.
Bay Leaves. A couple of whole bay leaves bring a gentle, earthy note that pairs perfectly with the smoky pork. Don’t skip them!
Heavy Cream. This gives the soup a rich, velvety finish. I always use cream for that cozy, traditional feel, just like Oma did.
Water. There is no broth used in this simple pork soup. The water will be flavored perfectly from the pork that cooks in it!
Flour. Just a bit helps thicken the soup. Mix it with room temperature water to avoid clumping.
Pasta. I love using German soup noodles like the ones that my Oma always used. They look like chopped up angel hair pasta, but are actually Bechtle brand German soup noodles. Any small soup noodles and even Orzo pasta will work, so just pick your favorite!
Rustic Bread & Butter (for serving). Some crusty bread like my German sourdough rye bread with real butter takes this soup experience over the top and Oma would agree. I also love serving baguette with it.
Chives (optional). Finely chopped fresh chives add a light onion note and a fresh pop of color.
How to make German pork soup
Let me give you a quick overview of what to do to get this soup just right and then let's go and make it. Skip to the detailed step-by-step instructions.
Trim the pork and cook it in the water with the bay leaves until tender and flavors have been extracted. I speed this up by using my Instant Pot. In the meantime, cook your noodles. It's important to keep them separately to control soup consistency and to keep the noodles from getting mushy.
Shred the pork, then finish the broth by whisking together the cream and flour to create a slurry, then add to the soup. Bring to a boil to thicken, season to taste with salt and serve immediately.
Assemble soup bowls by pouring in the creamy broth and topping it with shredded pork and noodles. That's it! I love that this soup takes about one hour from start to finish, most of it hands-off time.
If you don't have a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, cook your soup in a pot with a lid (such as a Dutch oven) over medium low heat for 2 to 3 hours or until the pork falls apart easily when trying to lift it out of the pot.
Tips for the best Kasslersuppe
- Do not reduce stovetop cooking time (in case you're not using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker)
- Use bone-in pork chops for richer flavor. Boneless works just fine, but the bones add extra flavor!
- Always cook noodles separately.
German Pork Soup Recipe (Kasslersuppe)
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops brined and smoked (like Kassler) and preferably bone-in, about 1 ½ pounds total
- 2 bay leaves
- 250 grams uncooked soup noodles use German soup noodles like Bechtle, or orzo or other small noodles
- 250 milliliters heavy whipping cream
- all-purpose flour to thicken
- salt to taste
- chives chopped, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add 8 cups (2 liters) of water to the bowl of your Instant Pot, add the pork chops and bay leaves and start the pressure cook setting on high for 45 minutes. Use rapid release.For alternative method, see notes.2 pork chops, 2 bay leaves
- In the meantime, cook the noodles in salted water and drizzle with a bit of oil or butter and toss to keep them from sticking.250 grams uncooked soup noodles
- Using a skimmer or two forks, remove pork and bay leaves from the flavored water using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Using two forks, shred the meat.
- Using the sauté setting on your Instant Pot, bring the water back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- For thickening the soup, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour with the cold cream to crate a slurry. Add to the soup while stirring and simmering for about 1 minute or until thickened. You’re aiming for a cream consistency for the soup. Season to taste with salt.250 milliliters heavy whipping cream, all-purpose flour, salt
- When ready to serve, pour the thickened broth in a bowl, add some of the noodles and the pulled pork and optionally garnish with chopped chives. Guten Appetit!chives
Notes
Nutrition
More German pork recipes
If you're hungry for more German pork recipes, you will love my Schwenkenbraten recipe (Grilled pork chops from Germany's Saarland region), my flavorful baked ham recipe (it's baked inside a loaf of bread!), or the classic German schnitzel (I am sharing all of my tips to get it perfectly crispy and perfect).
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Sophie Sadler
I hope you love my childhood favorite soup as much as I still do today! Try it and let me know what you think.