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Overview

Bouneschlupp

Bouneschlupp, Luxembourg Green Bean Soup, Bouneschlupp Soup

This bouneschlupp recipe turns green beans, potatoes, carrot, leek and celery into a thick, spoon-coating soup, with smoked sausage and crisp bacon giving it a deep, savoury backbone. A swirl of cream at the end rounds everything off. One serving is about 550 g.

Bouneschlupp is Luxembourg’s national soup, and its name comes from the Luxembourgish word for green beans, Bounen. It is a farmhouse soup through and through — beans and potatoes from the garden, a piece of smoked sausage from the larder — and it is still served at village fairs and family tables across the Grand Duchy, usually with a thick slice of bread.

Pairs well with: Crusty bread, butter & a green salad

Provenance

Luxembourg flag Luxembourg

Luxembourg Heritage

Nordic & European

Time Dedication

1h 5m

20m prep • 45m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

398 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 551 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Family lunches, village fairs, autumn dinners, cold-weather meals Cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home
Tags: Pork Vegetables Savory Soup
A bowl of bouneschlupp green bean soup with sausage, carrot and potato

Luxembourg Heritage

Photo: SITCK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

Made the Luxembourg way: bacon and onion fried first for the base, green beans and potatoes simmered until tender, smoked sausage added late, cream stirred in off the heat.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 5m
P

Prep Stage: Chop & Slice

20 Mins • Chopping

Top and tail the green beans and cut them into short pieces, dice the potatoes, carrot, onion and celery, slice the leek and the sausage, and dice the bacon. Once everything is cut, the soup is one pot and a simmer.

Maestro Tip: Cut the potatoes smaller than the beans — they should soften into the soup and thicken it while the beans stay whole.

  1. 1

    Fry the Bacon & Onion

    8 Mins Medium heat, 160°C (320°F)

    Melt the butter in a large pot, add the diced bacon and fry until it starts to crisp, then add the onion, leek, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

    Let the bacon render its fat first — it is the flavour base of the whole soup.

    Done when: Soft vegetables and bacon edges turning golden.

  2. 2

    Add Beans, Potatoes & Water

    5 Mins High heat, 100°C (212°F)

    Tip in the green beans and potatoes, pour in the water and bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift up the browned bits.

    Those browned bits are free flavour — scrape them in, do not wash them away.

    Done when: A full pot coming up to the boil.

  3. 3

    Simmer the Soup

    30 Mins Gentle simmer, 90°C (194°F)

    Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the beans are tender but still bright.

    A gentle simmer keeps the beans green; a hard boil turns them grey and dull.

    Done when: Soft potatoes, tender green beans, fragrant broth.

  4. 4

    Add the Sausage

    10 Mins Gentle simmer, 90°C (194°F)

    Stir in the sliced smoked sausage and simmer for 10 more minutes so it heats through and flavours the broth.

    Adding the sausage late keeps it juicy instead of boiled dry.

    Done when: Sausage hot through and the broth smoky.

  5. 5

    Finish with Cream

    2 Mins Low heat, 80°C (175°F)

    Take the pot off the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt — taste first, the bacon and sausage are already salty.

    Stir the cream in off the heat so it does not split.

    Done when: A creamy, pale-green soup with beans, potato and sausage in every spoonful.

  6. 6

    Serve

    3 Mins Hot

    Ladle into warm bowls and scatter with chopped parsley.

    Warm bowls keep a thin soup hot to the last spoonful.

    Done when: Steaming bowls of thick green bean soup with parsley on top.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the bouneschlupp steaming hot with crusty bread for dipping — the soup should be thick enough that the spoon stands in it for a second, with beans, potato and sausage in every ladle.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

398

kcal / serving

Protein

16g

Complete AA

Carbs

30g

Complex

Fats

25g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 551 g)
Energy398 kcal
Protein16 g
Carbohydrates30 g
Fat25 g
Fibre5.9 g
Sugar7.4 g
Sodium1052 mg
Per 100g
Energy72 kcal
Protein2.8 g
Carbohydrates5.5 g
Fat4.5 g
Fibre1.1 g
Sugar1.3 g
Sodium191 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Green beans and carrots supply vitamin C, vitamin A and folate, potatoes add potassium and vitamin B6, and the sausage and bacon add protein and iron. All nutrition values are estimated.

Fibre & Folate from Beans

Green beans add fibre and folate, and the potatoes and carrots bring potassium and vitamin A to the bowl.

Filling Without Heaviness

About 398 kcal a serving with 15.6 g of protein makes a lunch that fills you up without weighing you down.

Protein from Sausage & Bacon

The smoked sausage and bacon supply the protein that turns a vegetable soup into a proper meal.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Crusty Bread & Butter

A thick slice of crusty bread is made for this soup — it soaks up the creamy broth and the bacon fat.

Pickled Beetroot

Pickled beetroot adds sweet acidity that brightens the whole bowl.

Vegetables

Simple Green Salad

A sharp, vinegary salad cuts through the richness of the sausage and cream.

Drinks

Apple Juice or Light Beer

A cold apple juice or a light Luxembourg beer is refreshing next to the smoky, salty soup.

Complete menu

Serve the bouneschlupp hot with crusty bread and butter, a small green salad on the side, and apple juice to drink.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Very Salty Bread or Cheese

One serving already carries about 1,030 mg of sodium from the sausage, bacon and salt, so skip extra-salty accompaniments. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Extra Cream on Top

The soup is already finished with cream — more cream on top adds fat without improving the flavour. This is general food information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA satisfying lunch — about 398 kcal a serving, best eaten hot with bread.
  • ChildrenMild and friendly, with soft beans and sausage slices children usually pick out first; cut the beans shorter for small children.
  • ElderlySoft, warm and easy to eat; the beans and potatoes are gentle to chew and the soup is hydrating.
  • Pregnant womenFine as a lunch; make sure the sausage is heated right through to 74°C (165°F). Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Breastfeeding womenA warming, filling lunch with protein from the sausage; the soup itself also helps with fluids.
  • AthletesA good lighter lunch — about 15.6 g of protein per serving; add an extra slice of bread for more carbohydrate after training.
  • Weight gainAn easy way to add energy: a second bowl with bread and butter adds plenty of calories.
  • Weight lossA good choice — the beans and potatoes are filling for about 398 kcal; keep the bread to one slice.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesPotatoes and beans are starchy, so keep to one bowl and go easy on the bread. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • High blood pressureThe sausage and bacon make this soup salty — eat it occasionally and skip added salt. Ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseHigh in sodium and potassium from the beans and potatoes; ask your clinician before eating it.
  • GoutBeans and cured meats are rich in purines, so keep the portion modest. Ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesBeans can cause gas; eat slowly and in a modest portion if your stomach is sensitive. Ask your clinician.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseBacon and sausage add saturated fat and sodium — a small bowl now and then is wiser than a large one often. Ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverThe soup is moderately rich; keep to one bowl and skip extra butter on the bread. Ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains pork and milk (cream). Naturally free of gluten and egg; check the sausage label for gluten.
  • Special therapeutic dietsNot suitable for low-sodium diets as written; a version with fresh pork and no added salt is possible — ask your clinician or dietitian.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly and store in airtight containers.
In the fridge
Keeps 3 days in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below.
In the freezer
Up to 3 months; freeze before adding the cream, and stir cream in after reheating.
How to reheat
Reheat gently in a pan until steaming hot throughout, to 74°C (165°F); do not boil hard or the cream may split.
Freezing recommended
Yes — freeze without the cream for the best texture.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, slimy beans, or a sharp off taste.

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