To be kind, I can say that I am an eclectic European mix when it comes to my genealogy. To be blunt…I’m a mutt.
Amidst this sadly limited mix is a small amount of German which does not present itself often in my culinary adventures, but when it shows up, it’s very loud, proud and vocal. Like most women, I have about 98 browser tabs going in my mind at all times, 30 of which are future recipe ideas. I was prowling for ingredients and ideas at Perrotti’s, when I looked down and saw home made bratwurst and suddenly everything came together for a new recipe and just like Austin Powers in lederhosen, I said JAWOHL BABY…..
This is my new soup. I hope you like it.
Servings: 12
Calories: 368kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz Gruyere Cheese grated
- 2 large bratwurst
- 1.5 pounds ground pork
- 2 cups kale washed, dried, stemmed and finely chopped
- 1 12 oz bottle beer separated, keep 1 cup aside and save the rest for braising the meatballs
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion peeled and chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery washed and chopped
- 1 tbsp coarse mustard
- 1 32 oz package beef broth
- 1 32 oz package chicken broth
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary washed, dried and finely minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 9 oz package Panni spaetzle
Optional
- 12 soft pretzel nuggets
Instructions
- Peel carrots, onions and cut accordingly
- Rinse celery and chop
- Wash and dry kale, stem and finely chop
- Remove bratwurst from the casing and crumble well in a large bowl
- Add the ground pork, kale, egg and bread crumbs and mix well by hand
- Form medium sized meatballs, (it makes about 40 meatballs)
- Brown in batches with olive until a light crust forms, tossing in the pan so it doesn't overly brown. Once all meatballs have been browned for about five minutes, add them all to the pan and braise in the remaining beer
- Wipe out pan and saute onions, celery, carrots and rosemary until softened, for about 3-4 minutes
- In a heavy pot, combine one tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp of mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp of paprika
- Add cup of beer and stir for about five minutes over low heat.
- Add the milk and the cheese. Stir constantly until smooth, about 5 minutes
- Add the veggies and the meatballs and the spaetzle and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes
- Top with soft pretzels and enjoy!
Notes
This is also a great way to sneak veggies in for the picky eaters in the crowd


Nutrition
Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3997IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!