This sauerkraut soup recipe is a rich and delicious one-pot meal. Perfect for a cold winter’s day. It’s also a great way to get a bit more sauerkraut into your diet.
When I created this soup, I didn’t realize that there was already a traditional Ukrainian sauerkraut soup called kapusniak. There are also German and Polish variations.
While this soup isn’t technically based on a traditional recipe, it shares a lot of similar flavors.
This sauerkraut soup recipe is a blend of a creamy mashed potato and tomato soup base (common in Russian Doukhobor soups) and German-style sausage soup. It was something I put together one night based on what I had in my pantry, and it was so popular with my kids, that it’s become a staple.
Those of you who know me, know that I don’t often add meat to my recipes. I created a vegetarian version for my cookbook, that replaces the sausage with chickpeas. However, the sausage version remains my kids’ favorite.
A Fermentation Friendly Meal
I created this recipe to feature homemade fermented foods. I’m always looking for ways to get a bit more sauerkraut into our diets!
Here are a few
- Sauerkraut: Whether you make your own, or buy sauerkraut, use fermented sauerkraut rather than vinegar sauerkraut for a probiotic boost! Adding the sauerkraut to each bowl after serving helps to keep the probiotics alive.
- Sour Cream: Homemade sour cream is incredibly easy to make. It’s also another good source of probiotics. Alternatively, you could also use yogurt or Greek yogurt.
- Sourdough Bread: I love well-fermented sourdough bread. I am a fermentation foodie after all! Rye bread is traditional. Or make gluten-free sourdough buns.
Sauerkraut Soup
This sauerkraut soup is a delicious German-style sausage soup made with a creamy potato base. Topped with fresh sauerkraut and sour cream, it is a healthy and filling meal that comes with a dose of probiotics!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Soup
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces (see notes for a vegetarian alternative)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, diced
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 –14 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 6 cups of water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
For Serving
- 2 cups sauerkraut
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the sausage and sauté until it starts browning. Add in the onion, garlic, and carrots, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in water, canned tomatoes, bay, and paprika. Give everything a good stir.
- Scrub or peel the potatoes. Add the whole potatoes (or sliced in half for really large potatoes) to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer.
- Simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 20 min). Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Roughly mash the potatoes with the milk.
- Stir the mashed potatoes back into the soup. Add the salt, to taste.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a forkful of sauerkraut.
Notes
- Though German sausages are ideal for this recipe, any pork sausage will work. Or if you like a bit of spice, then use spicy sausage.
- For a vegan version of this recipe (and I can recommend it!) use vegan sausage with vegan sour cream.
- I never peel my potatoes, even when I’m making mashed potatoes. However, if you want a really smooth and creamy soup, then peel your potatoes as it will make it easier to mash them.
- The leftovers are delicious. Stash this soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, don’t add the sauerkraut until right before serving. You don’t want to accidentally kill the probiotics when you warm the soup up in the microwave!
Keywords: probiotic, healthy, hearty, comforting, fall, winter, stew, Russian, Eastern European, fermented, German, simple
My wife and I are having the worst cold today, this really made our day so much easier! So incredibly tasty, thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Thank you so much! It’s one of my favourite soups.
I love your recipes! I am making this one today. Does freezing the leftovers effect the probiotics?
It shouldn’t. But reheating would likely kill it. Maybe just freeze before adding the sauerkraut, then add the kraut to each individual bowl.