This Healthy Reuben soup tastes just like a delicious Reuben sandwich but in soup form! Using corned beef deli meat and grated Swiss cheese, as well as milk and Greek yogurt instead of cream, it's an easy, lighter, scrumptious, and cozy soup that's the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but delicious any time of the year.
This soup is a thick and creamy Reuben soup that's actually more like a Reuben Chowder. It was inspired by my Turkey Reuben Panini on this site, and pairs well with rye bread.
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🥘Ingredient Notes
For this Reuben Soup recipe, you'll need:
- Butter. I use unsalted because the other ingredients make this salty enough.
- Corned beef. I use deli meat.
- Caraway seeds. Caraway seeds add a warm peppery flavor and a great color contrast.
- Mustard powder. This is also known as dry mustard
- Hot mustard. I use Keen's hot mustard
- Milk. I use 1% to keep it light.
- Swiss cheese. Do NOT use slices. I tried using them on my first test and had a hard time getting them to melt.
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- WW Friendlier/Lighter- you can lighten this up even more by using turkey deli meat, light butter, and light Swiss cheese (I will warn you, it's hard to find)
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Dry Mustard - if you don't have dry mustard, you can substitute Dijon mustard but use 1 ½ tbsp.
- Sauerkraut - You can substitute cabbage, but you'll need to precook it until soft. And in order to mimic tangy sauerkraut, add 2 teaspoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of white granulated sugar to the soup, as well.
- Beef Broth - you could substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Olive oil - you can use canola or vegetable oil instead
- Topping - you could use rye croutons
- Corned beef - you could use leftover corned beef or deli counter corned beef
🔪How to make Reuben Soup
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook onion in butter until tender.
Add beef stock.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in chopped corned beef, drained and chopped sauerkraut, caraway seed, mustard powder, hot mustard, Greek yogurt, milk, and shredded Swiss cheese.
Cook and stir on medium- low until cheese is melty, but not completely melted (about 10 minutes).
When the cheese is almost melted (still a little lumpy and stringy), it's time to add the roux.
Hint: For best results, shred cheese on fine shredding on a grater or in a food processor
Mix oil and flour together to make a roux and add to pot. Cook on medium-low, whisking constantly until mixture thickens and cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
Serve with rye bread, crackers, or croutons. It also goes well with dill pickles on the side! Garnish with additional caraway seeds, if desired
*If you need to keep it warm, keep it on low in a slow cooker.
Recipe Tips
- Thinner Soup: You can add less roux (oil and flour) depending on how thick you like your soup (you don't have to add it all if you prefer your soup thinner.)
- Cheese Melting: Use freshly shredded Swiss cheese instead of pre-shredded, as pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect smooth melting.
- Sauerkraut Prep: If your sauerkraut is too tangy, rinse it briefly under cold
- Corned Beef Choices: If using fresh leftover corned beef instead of deli meat, dice it into small, bite-sized pieces for a more even texture in the soup.
- Roux Incorporation: Make sure the roux (oil and flour mixture) is smooth before adding it to the soup to avoid lumps. Whisking constantly is key!
- Thickening Options: If you prefer a gluten-free version, use cornstarch instead of flour for thickening. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in gradually.
👪 Serving Size
This creamy soup recipe makes 6 servings (8 cups), with each serving being about 1 ⅓ cup. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
Although this recipe is lighter than many cream soups (there is no heavy cream, but milk and Greek yogurt instead) the flour, corned beef, and cheese add points and calories.
I mentioned above, you can use turkey deli meat, light butter, fat-free milk, light Swiss cheese, and even less roux (flour and oil mixture) or use cornstarch and water to thicken, to lighten it up even further. It will be a thinner soup, but still with a creamy broth and taste just as delicious, but further reduce the points! The WW points will depend on the substitutions you make.
🥗 What to serve with Reuben Soup
Reuben soup is a hearty soup and a filling meal on its own, but it also goes great with your favorite sandwich. I love to serve it with Open Face Tuna Melts.
If I'm keeping it lighter I'll serve it with a Kale Salad with Cranberries and Feta or Everything Bagel Cloud Bread.
And for a festive St. Patrick's Day meal, pair this Cream of Reuben Soup with my Green Grasshopper Mocktail (shown) and Shamrock Tarts or these healthier Matcha Muffins!
And if you really want to indulge, try my Chocolate Guinness Cake for dessert!
🌡️Storage
Store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat in microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Yes- you can freeze Reuben soup for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Reuben Soup is a Reuben sandwich in the form of soup. Although there are variations, many have a creamy base, with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and mustard (just like the sandwich). Some also add vegetables like celery, carrots and onions. Reuben soup can have a variety of textures from a broth to thick like a chowder. It's often served with rye bread on the side.
Use turkey deli meat, light butter, fat-free milk, and light Swiss cheese. You can also reduce the amount of roux or use cornstarch for thickening.
You can substitute cooked cabbage and add 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar to mimic the tangy flavor of sauerkraut.
This has become a family favorite around here. And if you love Reuben sandwiches, you're going to LOVE this Reuben soup!
🥣More Healthy Delicious Soup Recipes
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📋 Healthy Reuben Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion. chopped
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 cups milk * I use 1% milk
- 350 g lean corned beef (deli meat) chopped *or use leftover corned beef
- 1 cup drained sauerkraut chopped
- 1.5 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon hot mustard
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt (0% non-fat)
- 3 teaspoon dry mustard/ mustard powder
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Over medium heat, sauté onion in butter until tender.
- Add beef stock.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in chopped corned beef, drained and chopped sauerkraut, caraway, mustards, Greek yogurt, milk, and shredded Swiss cheese. *Shred Swiss cheese on fine shredding for best results
- Cook and stir on medium- low until cheese is melty, but not completely melted (about 10 minutes) .
- Mix oil and flour together to make roux and add to pot.
- Cook on medium low, whisking constantly until mixture thickens and cheese is melted. *It's really important that you whisk constantly until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
- Serve with rye bread, crackers or croutons. It also goes well with dill pickles on the side. Garnish with additional caraway seeds, if desired.
- *If you need to keep it warm, keep it on low in a slow cooker
Notes
-
- Thinner Soup: You can add less roux (oil and flour) depending on how thick you like your soup (you don't have to add it all if you prefer your soup thinner.)
-
- Cheese Melting: Use freshly shredded Swiss cheese instead of pre-shredded, as pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect smooth melting.
-
- Sauerkraut Prep: If your sauerkraut is too tangy, rinse it briefly under cold
-
- Corned Beef Choices: If using fresh leftover corned beef instead of deli meat, dice it into small, bite-sized pieces for a more even texture in the soup.
-
- Roux Incorporation: Make sure the roux (oil and flour mixture) is smooth before adding it to the soup to avoid lumps. Whisking constantly is key!
-
- Thickening Options: If you prefer a gluten-free version, use cornstarch instead of flour for thickening. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in gradually.
Bernice
Terri, you're speaking my love language here. I do love all the Reuben flavours...and in one convenient bowl too. I think my kids would go nuts for this as well.
Vanessa
The perfect starter for my St. Patrick's Day menu! Thanks!
Joss
I love Reuben sandwiches but had never heard of a Reuben soup. It's a really lovely, comforting soup and is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. I like the suggestion to add dill pickles on the side!
nancy
this is a tasty chowder. really great with sourdough!
Terri Gilson
Glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!