cookwewill
Senior Cook
As I have mentioned in some other thread here on the forum, Sauerkraut is a very popular ingredient in my country. And one of the most popular dishes made from it is a "Soup".
It's called "Kapustnica". The Slovak word for Sauerkraut is "Kapusta", hence the name
You can find ton's of more or less similar versions of this soup, sometimes I feel like every family has their own recipe that uses some special ingredient to make their version unique. And all the surrounding countries have their version of "Kapustnica" too... Czechs have "Zelnacka" (Zeli means Sauerkraut), Polish people have "Kapustniak" ...
Since this soup is very thick and filling, it's also served as a festive meal during Christmas (a bit different version) and it's also the ideal choice for a large party or gathering, because it's easy to cook in large quantities.
Here is a video of myself cooking it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAhxeI-h2Ok
Check my blog for the full Sauerkraut Soup Recipe or look below for a simplified version:
This soup requires quite a bit of ingredients, but don’t get scared by it, the recipe is actually very easy to follow.
1kg (2 lbs) sauerkraut
0.5kg (1lb) smoked pork knuckle
100g (3.5oz) pork lard
150g (5oz) bacon
200g (7oz) smoked sausage
3-4 onions
6-8 cloves garlic
2 tsp red paprika
2 tbsp. flour (all purpose / finely grained)
3 bay leaves
5 allspice corns
1 tsp caraway
handful of chopped parsley
10 prunes or dried plums
2 bouillon cubes
1-2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried marjoram
chives and sour cream for garnish
water or broth/stock
salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Dice 3-4 medium sized onions and sautee these on pork lard. Once the onions become translucent, add sliced garlic (3-4 cloves), about 150g (5oz) diced bacon and 200g (7oz) sliced smoked sausage. Sautee for a few more minutes.
2. Add 2 tsp of red paprika and 2 tbsp of flour. Keep stirring and add a cup of water. Stir some more to make sure no lumps have formed.
3. Add 1kg (about 2lbs) sauerkraut now. Add about 2 liters (8 cups) of water, make sure the kraut is fully submerged. Season with salt and black pepper, add the allspice corns and crushed caraway seeds. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Add about 500g (1lb) smoked pork knuckle and a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, 3 bay leaves and about 10 prunes. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Add the bouillon cubes and crushed garlic, about 3 cloves. And again, cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
6. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. In case the soup is too sour for your likings, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook for a few minutes to make sure the salt and sugar have dissolved.
7. Add the last ingredient: dried marjoram (2 tsp). Cook for 10 more minutes and we are done.
Have you ever had a soup like this? Lemme know
It's called "Kapustnica". The Slovak word for Sauerkraut is "Kapusta", hence the name
You can find ton's of more or less similar versions of this soup, sometimes I feel like every family has their own recipe that uses some special ingredient to make their version unique. And all the surrounding countries have their version of "Kapustnica" too... Czechs have "Zelnacka" (Zeli means Sauerkraut), Polish people have "Kapustniak" ...
Since this soup is very thick and filling, it's also served as a festive meal during Christmas (a bit different version) and it's also the ideal choice for a large party or gathering, because it's easy to cook in large quantities.
Here is a video of myself cooking it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAhxeI-h2Ok
Check my blog for the full Sauerkraut Soup Recipe or look below for a simplified version:
This soup requires quite a bit of ingredients, but don’t get scared by it, the recipe is actually very easy to follow.
1kg (2 lbs) sauerkraut
0.5kg (1lb) smoked pork knuckle
100g (3.5oz) pork lard
150g (5oz) bacon
200g (7oz) smoked sausage
3-4 onions
6-8 cloves garlic
2 tsp red paprika
2 tbsp. flour (all purpose / finely grained)
3 bay leaves
5 allspice corns
1 tsp caraway
handful of chopped parsley
10 prunes or dried plums
2 bouillon cubes
1-2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried marjoram
chives and sour cream for garnish
water or broth/stock
salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Dice 3-4 medium sized onions and sautee these on pork lard. Once the onions become translucent, add sliced garlic (3-4 cloves), about 150g (5oz) diced bacon and 200g (7oz) sliced smoked sausage. Sautee for a few more minutes.
2. Add 2 tsp of red paprika and 2 tbsp of flour. Keep stirring and add a cup of water. Stir some more to make sure no lumps have formed.
3. Add 1kg (about 2lbs) sauerkraut now. Add about 2 liters (8 cups) of water, make sure the kraut is fully submerged. Season with salt and black pepper, add the allspice corns and crushed caraway seeds. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Add about 500g (1lb) smoked pork knuckle and a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, 3 bay leaves and about 10 prunes. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Add the bouillon cubes and crushed garlic, about 3 cloves. And again, cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
6. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. In case the soup is too sour for your likings, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook for a few minutes to make sure the salt and sugar have dissolved.
7. Add the last ingredient: dried marjoram (2 tsp). Cook for 10 more minutes and we are done.
Have you ever had a soup like this? Lemme know
