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Sauerkraut Soup: Classic Comfort Food (GF)

Classic Comfort Food - Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup
Classic Comfort Food - Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup
Classic Comfort Food - Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup
Classic Comfort Food - Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup
Sauerkraut soup based on Russian, Ukrainian and German recipes

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.

Classic Comfort Food - Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup

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.
Eastern European Sauerkraut Soup - Classic Comfort Food
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Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut Soup A Simple, One-Pot Meal
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

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! 

  • Author: Emillie
  • 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

Units Scale

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

  1. 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.
  2. Pour in water, canned tomatoes, bay, and paprika. Give everything a good stir.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Stir the mashed potatoes back into the soup. Add the salt, to taste.
  6. 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

Filed Under: Soups & StewsTagged With: Eastern European, Potatoes, Sauerkraut, Soup

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Comments

  1. Sam

    August 15, 2018 at 9:30 am

    My wife and I are having the worst cold today, this really made our day so much easier! So incredibly tasty, thanks for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Emillie

      August 15, 2018 at 9:38 am

      Thank you so much! It’s one of my favourite soups.

      Reply
  2. Bobbi

    October 20, 2018 at 6:56 am

    I love your recipes! I am making this one today. Does freezing the leftovers effect the probiotics?

    Reply
    • Emillie

      October 21, 2018 at 1:28 pm

      It shouldn’t. But reheating would likely kill it. Maybe just freeze before adding the sauerkraut, then add the kraut to each individual bowl.

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Emillie, an island-dwelling fermentation enthusiast. Fermenting For Foodies features healthy recipes designed to feed your microbiome.
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