Sauerkraut soup 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 Eastern European sauerkraut soup called Kapusnyak. So while this soup isn’t technically traditional, it is pretty similar to a lot of the traditional recipes.
My sauerkraut soup is a blend of a creamy mashed potato and tomato soup base (common in Russian Doukhobor soups) and German-style sausage soup. It’s a rich and delicious soup and is a favourite with my kids.
A Fermentation Friendly Meal
Sauerkraut soup is a great way to feature homemade fermented foods.
- Sauerkraut: Whether you make your own, or buy sauerkraut (affiliate link) 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 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
- Saute the sausage in oil until the sausage starts browning. Add in the onion, garlic and carrots, continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in water, canned tomatoes, bay and paprika. Give everything a good stir.
- Add in the potatoes (whole or sliced in half for really large potatoes) and bring to a boil.
- Simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 20 min). Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon. Roughly mash the potatoes with the milk.
- Stir the mashed potatoes back to the soup and salt to taste.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sauerkraut.
Notes
- Though German sausage would be ideal for this recipe, and 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 vegetarian sausage
(affiliate link) 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.
(affiliate link) with 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.