Whether you’re interested in German hot dog soup, hot dog soup in Chicago, or cheesy hot dog soup, we all know that this Americana dish offers a wealth of flavors and is beloved by many, many generations. Some people have even experimented with pasta, creating the venerable hot dog soup with macaroni.
Hot Dog Soup Everywhere
Hot dog soup is considered a family favorite across the United States, and every family has its version of the soup. Hot dog soup is hearty and has a naturally meaty broth because you are submerging hotdogs into the water, and it’s a perfect meal at any time of the day.
Like we have said before, every family has its version of the hearty hot dog soup, so you may encounter quite a several variations if you set out to find the best one. It’s also impossible to arrive at “the best” recipe because people adjust theirs according to taste, and they usually only eyeball the number of ingredients that they put in the saucepan.
One recipe that we’ve found uses most of the ingredients used in barbecue sauce: parmesan cheese, salt, whole corn kernels, tomato chunks, garlic powder, Heinz tomato ketchup, onion powder, beef franks, and mustard. Notice that this recipe uses beef franks to infuse more flavors into the resulting soup. Combine all of the ingredients with a few cups of water and adjust to taste.
Like other family or heirloom recipes, the amounts of ingredients will depend on who is cooking, and what flavor is craved for that day. Meat eaters are going to pack as many hotdogs as they can without ruining the broth.
People who like more acidity will add more ketchup, tomatoes, and mustard, too. Those who are craving for something more savory will go all out on garlic powder and onion powder. And still, some will choose to add herbs and spices that they think go well with this overly meaty soup.
Hot Dog Soup Recipes
Hot dog soup with potatoes and carrots
A more well-balanced recipe for hot dog soup emphasizes evenness with the ingredients: 4 carrots, 2 potatoes, 2 parsnips, 1 onion, ¼ cup of butter, two tablespoons of all-purpose flour, one large pack of hotdogs (beef, chicken, or pork will work), 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 can of mushroom soup like Campbell’s, 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of basil (dried), and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Begin by preparing all of your ingredients first. Slice all of the hotdogs into bite-sized pieces and set them aside. Slice the carrots and potatoes into medium-sized chunks, and julienne the parsnips. The onions should be sliced for sautéing.
First sauté the sliced onions, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes in the pan with one-fourth cup of butter. Turn down the heat to low until everything is tender in the pan. Add two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and combine with butter until slightly frothy. Pour one can of evaporated milk into the mix, followed by one can of mushroom soup.
Combine the ingredients with the spatula and make sure that floury lumps are broken up, so they mix well with everything else. Add the sliced hotdogs, one teaspoon of dried basil, and one teaspoon of pepper. Taste the broth first before seasoning with any kind of salt. Usually, the high sodium content of the hotdogs takes care of the need for saltiness, but if your taste buds say otherwise, feel free to add salt. Simmer everything until you get a somewhat thick consistency. Serve hot.
Hot dog soup with margarine and tomato sauce
If you want hotdog soup with a slightly different twist, try this recipe for hotdog soup with margarine and tomato sauce. You will need one large onion, two tablespoons of margarine (instead of butter or vegetable shortening), three large potatoes, one eight-ounce can of tomato sauce, one 14.5 ounces of chicken broth, one nine-ounce pack of frozen green beans, and one sixteen-ounce pack of beef frankfurters. Proceed with the preparation by washing your potatoes, peeling them, and chopping them into sauté-size pieces (small cubes). Slice the beef frankfurters into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop your onions for sautéing.
Place a large saucepan on the stove and set the heat to medium. Add the margarine and sauté the onions. When the onions are tender, add the chopped potatoes, frozen green beans, and all the rest of the ingredients. Mix the pan well and allow all the ingredients to combine well. Simmer the soup for thirty minutes, or until you get the desired consistency that you like for hearty soups. Serve hot.
Tips for Making Your Hotdog Soup Special
Hotdog soup is one of those dishes that have no rules because they’re comfort food. You will find different takes of the original across the cities because of the availability of the ingredients, and what people prefer. Some of the things that you can do to experiment with your recipe are:
- Try eating your hotdog soup with biscuits or toasted bread with different toppings. You can even combine hotdog soup with your favorite takeout pizza – the sky’s the limit with the combinations.
- You can use the basic hotdog soup recipe to create a baked macaroni in a pan. Adjust the number of ingredients and top everything off with cheese, and you will have a fairly healthy version of the mac and cheese.
- Try different kinds of sausages and see how the meat selection affects the flavor of the hot dog soup. Buying hotdogs or frankfurters from other countries can also make your recipe even more exciting. If beef doesn’t cut it, you can always try turkey franks or even chicken franks.
- Some people like their soups cheesy, so adding more parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar might change your soup’s DNA and make it more flavorful and pleasing.
