Lots of recipes for Reuben Soup on the internet, but here's mine
Reuben Soup
3-5 lb. Corned Beef Brisket
2 cans Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Small Onion - Chopped
1-2 Celery Stalks - Finely Chopped
1/2 Stick Butter
16oz.-24oz. Half & Half
1 Can Sauerkraut - Drained
2 cups Shredded Swiss Cheese
Fresh Ground Pepper To Taste
1 Loaf Pumpernickel or Rye Bread
Place Corned Beef Brisket in stew pot and cover with water, and add extra spice packet.
Simmer for about 4 hours, or until the meat can be easily shredded. Remove meat and shred 1/2 with forks and slice other 1/2 for sammies. I chopped the shredded Corned Beef into 1" pieces.
Optional - Split Corned Beef Brisket into (2) pieces. Simmer 1/2 for soup. Shake additional pickling spice on other 1/2 and smoke to internal of 190° for Pastrami.
Boil broth and reduce to about 2/3rds. Pour broth thru strainer into a separate bowl, and place all but 1/3 back into the pot. Save this 1/3 broth for mixing with Half and Half later.
Add: Chicken Broth, Butter, Sauerkraut, Chopped Onions and Celery, and simmer until vegetables are tender
Slowly add half and Half to the Beef Broth that was previously set aside. Keep mixing while adding Half and Half, and add 1 tablespoon Corn Starch
Slowly add this into the broth in the stew pot, while stirring
Simmer, but do not allow to boil. The broth will thicken
Add: Corned Beef, Shredded Swiss Cheese
Simmer for approx 15 minutes, but do not boil
Pepper to taste
While soup is simmering, cut Pumpernickel or Rye Bread into 1"x1" pieces and place under to broiler, to make croutons.
Another option would be to smoke all the Corned Beef Brisket, and make Pastrami out of it. Then, add the Pastrami to the soup base. The broth won't be as flavorful as simmering the Corned Beef to make a broth, but you would have the smoky flavor from the Pastrami.
ENJOY, I Did!!
Todd