Flädlesuppe, this humble soup made with clear broth and pancake strips is a simple and soul-warming dish. The perfect recipe for leftover pancakes is a simple dish to make as a starter. A traditional German soup to make on a budget, yet filling and satisfying.
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What is German Pancake Soup?
For this soup, cooled pancakes are sliced into narrow strips and served in a beef or chicken broth.
The name consists of two German words "Flädle" - which means a "strip of pancake" and "Suppe" which is the German word for Soup. "Flädle" is the Swabian name for pancake stripes. Pancakes in Germany are either called "Pfannkuchen" or "Eierkuchen" depending on which region of Germany you are in. So this soup is also known as Eierkuchensuppe or Pfannkuchensuppe.
Austrian pancake soup is called "Fritattensuppe".
Flädlesuppe originates from Swabia, a region in southern Germany, which lies part in Bavaria, and part in Baden. Known for its simple, rustic cuisine, it is also home to other popular German recipes. Here are some examples
Pancakes in Germany are often served as a sweet lunch with apple sauce or plum butter. Swabian recipes are known for their simplicity and practicality. So they would take the leftover pancakes, cut them into thin strips resembling pancake noodles, and serve them the next day.
How to make German Pancake Soup
For authentic Flädlesuppe, the pancakes need to be thin! German pancakes are not thick and fluffy like American pancakes. Americans sometimes refer to this soup as "crepe soup", because they associate thin pancakes with France.
You also do not need to wait until you have leftover pancakes to make this soup: you can just use fresh ones.
Ingredients:
(make sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities)
Vegetable Broth (you can also use beef broth and shop-bought alternatives)
- Soup vegetables: carrot, leek, onion, garlic, root celery
- Spices and Herbs: juniper berries (affiliate link), peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf
For the Pancakes
- eggs (at room temperature)
- flour (Germany Type 405, UK plain flour, US all-purpose flour)
- milk
- carbonated water/ seltzer
- sugar, salt
- butter or vegetable oil for frying
Flädlesuppe Recipe - Step by Step
To make the vegetable broth
Wash the vegetables and chop the carrots, leeks, garlic, and root celery.
Place the vegetables with the herbs into a large pot and fill with 2.4 liters of cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to heat to let it simmer for approximately 90 minutes.
Add salt to taste and then drain the broth in a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
To make the Pfannkuchen
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the milk until you can no longer see any lumps. Add the eggs one by one.
- Finally add the sugar, salt, and carbonated water and mix again until you achieve an even pancake batter.
- Leave the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop and will help the texture of the pancake.
- Heat the butter or oil in a coated frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the batter with a ladle to the pan.
- Cook the pancake until the bottom of the pancake is cooked, which should take approximately 2 minutes. Then turn the pancake and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
Assembling the soup with pancake strips:
After the pancakes have cooled down a bit, roll them up and slice them into thin strips. Place into a bowl and then pour over the hot broth. Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as parsley or chives. Serve hot.
Prepare ahead
You can prepare this sliced pancake soup ahead of time, however, be sure to wait to assemble the soup for just when you are ready to serve them. If the pancake stripes stay too long in the broth, they become soggy.
More Traditional German Soups
The Best German Pancake Recipes
Recipe
Simple German-Pancake Soup (Flädlesuppe) vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Vegetable Broth
- 3 carrots
- 1 stick leek
- ¼ celery root
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 6 juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon pepper corns
- fresh paresley
- 3 tablespoon salt
- 11 cups (2.5 liter) water
For the Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups (220 g) flour all purpose flour or plain flour
- 1 cups (250 ml) milk
- ¼ cups (60 ml) carbonated water /seltzers water
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- vegetable oil or butter for frying
Instructions
- Wash the vegetables and chop the carrots, leeks, garlic, and root celery.
- Place the vegetables with the herbs into a large pot and fill with 2.5 liters / 11 cups of cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to heat to let it simmer for approximately 90 minutes.
- Add salt to taste and then drain the broth in a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
To make the Pancakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the milk until you can no longer see any lumps. Add the eggs one by one.
- Finally add the sugar, salt, and carbonated water and mix again until you achieve an even pancake batter.
- Leave the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop and will help the texture of the pancake.
- Heat the butter or oil in a coated frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the batter with a ladle to the pan.
- Cook the pancake until the bottom of the pancake is cooked, which should take approximately 2 minutes. Then turn the pancake and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Repeat the process until the batter is used up.
Assembling the soup with pancake strips
- After the pancakes have cooled down a bit, roll them up and slice them into thin strips. Place in a bowl and then pour over the hot broth. Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as parsley or chives. Serve hot.
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