Riesling Soup with Cinnamon-Dusted Croutons

A Riesling Soup Recipe from a German Castle

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Today's Riesling soup recipe is the appetizer that was served during our perfect wedding dinner at Burg Rheinstein, the romantic German castle on the Rhein river, where I was married last August. It's delicate, but yet features a vibrant flavor profile, and it's the perfect meal to transition into the cooler months of the year. Marco Hecher, the castle's owner, was generous enough to pass on the recipe, so I could feature it on my blog today! He also sent me the recipe for the heavenly entrée the castle prepared for us, Mediterranean-style veal rollups, which I posted in August for our anniversary. These recipes are so near and dear to my heart, and I am so excited to be able to share them with you on my blog!

Riesling is Not All Sweet

In fact, most Rieslings produced in Germany are on the dryer side. Somehow the American market almost exclusively demands sweeter Rieslings, missing out on the dry or semi-dry kind that I love so much. Growing up in the Mosel valley, I was surrounded by Riesling grapes overgrowing the slate-covered hills. At night when the air cooled, we would find spots in the vineyard to sit on the sun-heated slate stone that would keep its warmth hours after the sun set.

Dry or semi-dry Rieslings are still not the kind of Riesling you will typically be able to drink at American restaurants, but they are becoming more prevalent in the US. Visit any larger scale wine or liquor store, and you should be able to find a few different Rieslings on the dry side.

Which Riesling to Use For Riesling Soup?

While a sweeter Riesling can be great (a nice Spätlese with dessert is a match made in heaven!), if you haven't tried a less sweet, more balanced Riesling, I definitely encourage you to! And that's also exactly the kind of Riesling you'll want to use for this soup. Affentaler "Valley of the Monkey" Riesling is a crisp and fruity, beautifully balanced Riesling, that's neither too sweet, nor too dry. It worked beautifully in this soup recipe! After you're done cooking, pour some more of this Riesling for your guests, and set the bottle on the table for a fun talking point. Check this link to see if it's available in your area.

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Thank you for stopping by my blog! Please stay a while, drool over some delicious German food, and subscribe to receive weekly emails with new recipes! I will also be hosting more giveaways soon, including more knife set giveaways closer to the holidays and some other surprises! Make sure to stop by my Instagram page this Sunday for a fun, new giveaway to get you in the mood for the holidays!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 small onion (about 100g)
1 tablespoon butter
½ c (125 ml) Riesling, dry or semi-dry
3 c (750 ml) chicken broth
1 c (250g) sour cream
2 tablespoon flour
½ c (125 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 slices bread

Method:

Finely chop the onion and saute in butter over medium heat until translucent.
Add the wine and bring to a boil. Continue to let boil for about 1 minute before adding in the broth. Return to a boil.
Whisk together the sour cream and flour and add in the broth-wine mixture.
Reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the heavy whipping cream and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Using a small cookie cutter in whichever shape your heart craves, cut out 12 little bread shapes from the 2 slices of bread (I used a little leaf cutter, but stars or hearts would be cute, too!).
Sautée in hot oil until browned, then transfer to a plate covered with paper towel and dust with a thin layer of cinnamon.
Season the soup with salt and pepper, then puree using an immersion blender (I've had this immersion blender for a while, and it's never failed me!). Stir in the fresh parsley, reserving some for garnish.
Right before serving, add another splash of wine.
Guten Appetit!

Sophie's Riesling Soup Tools & Entertaining Picks

Other German Recipes You Would Like:

Kasslersuppe (German soup with pork chops)
Kalbsröllchen (German veal roll-ups from our wedding - another castle recipe!)
Rinderrouladen (Stuffed flank steak)

I received compensation from Niche Import Co. in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may be compensated if you click certain links.