Sauerkraut Soup with Potatoes (Meat-Free) Recipe
This simple sauerkraut soup is a lighter, meat-free cousin of traditional Polish kapuśniak. It has a distinctly sour taste, warms you up on cold days and tastes great with a slice of bread. In many Polish homes this soup appears in winter, when sauerkraut is at its best – it’s an inexpensive, homely way to make a hearty dinner.
This soup is a simpler, lighter version of traditional kapuśniak, where all the attention is focused on the sour, aromatic sauerkraut. Potatoes and root vegetables add body and a gentle sweetness, which balances the flavour and makes a bowl of this soup truly warming from the inside.
Chef's tips
It’s worth briefly stewing the sauerkraut on its own first and only then combining it with the vegetable stock – this gives a deeper flavour. If the sauerkraut is very sour, add some potato cooking water or a splash of milk/cream instead of rinsing it, because you’ll lose a lot of aroma with the juice. Add dried herbs at the end of cooking so they don’t turn bitter.
How to serve
Serve it hot with a thick slice of rye bread with butter or plant-based lard. It’s perfect as a quick dinner after a winter walk or a day on the slopes, when you no longer have the energy for long cooking. To drink, plain tea with lemon or dried fruit compote (if you have some left from the weekend) works very well.
Ingredients
- sauerkraut if it’s very sour, you can rinse it - 400 g
- potatoes best all-purpose potatoes for soups - 500 g
- carrot - 2 pieces
- parsley root - 1 piece
- celeriac small piece - 0.25 pieces
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- allspice - 4 berries
- vegetable stock or water homemade stock is best - 1.5 l
- oil for sautéing the vegetables - 2 tablespoons
- dried marjoram rubbed between your hands - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste, carefully, as the sauerkraut is salty
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Peel the vegetables (carrot, parsley root and celeriac) and cut into small cubes or half-slices.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until they soften slightly and become fragrant, but do not brown.
- Add the bay leaves and allspice. Pour in the vegetable stock or water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
- If the sauerkraut is very sour, squeeze out some of the juice and, if needed, quickly rinse it under cold water, then squeeze again. If you like very sour soup, do not rinse the sauerkraut.
- Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Then add the sauerkraut, stir and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the potatoes and sauerkraut are soft. The soup should thicken slightly from the starch in the potatoes.
- Finally, season the soup with marjoram, salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes so the spices blend with the flavour of the soup.
- Remove the bay leaves and allspice before serving. Serve hot.
Storage
Store the cooled soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. It tastes even better when reheated. Reheat gently, stirring from time to time; if it becomes too thick, top up with a little water or stock and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
