Cheesy Crock Pot Reuben Soup

Cheesy crock pot Reuben soup is the deli classic deconstructed into a spoonable winter meal. Everything that made the Reuben sandwich a diner legend lands in the bowl: salty corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, nutty Swiss cheese, and a creamy broth that stands in for the Russian dressing.

The baking soda is the secret most people miss. It’s a small teaspoon, but it neutralizes some of the sauerkraut’s sharp acid so the soup doesn’t curdle when the milk goes in. Skip it and you’ll get grainy, broken texture every time.

A cornstarch slurry thickens the broth so it coats a spoon without going gluey. Stir it in before the milk to give the soup its creamy body without flour-and-roux work.

Rinsing and draining the sauerkraut once is enough. Twice and you wash out the flavor that gives this soup its identity.

The Swiss cheese goes in last, off-heat, so it melts smoothly instead of separating. Top each bowl with rye croutons for the sandwich-on-top finish that ties the whole thing back to the original.

Pro Tips

• Use deli-sliced corned beef chopped fine, or leftover boiled corned beef from St. Patrick’s Day. Both work.
• Add the cheese in handfuls, stirring between each. Dumping it all at once causes clumping.
• If the soup is too tangy, add a pinch more sugar. If too rich, a splash of vinegar brightens it back up.
• Make rye croutons from stale rye bread cubed and toasted in butter for 10 minutes. Better than store-bought.

Variations

• Swap corned beef for pastrami for a smokier soup.
• Use half-and-half instead of milk for a richer, restaurant-style version.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of Russian dressing at the end to push the soup even closer to the sandwich flavor.