“In nineteenth-century Russia, sauerkraut was more valued than caviar.” ~ Mark Kurlansky
I am ambivalent when it comes to sauerkraut. I usually can take it or leave it. Occasionally, I’ll have a yen for the tangy zip and I’ll make pork chops w/ sauerkraut in the crockpot. And then, I heard of sauerkraut soup. Say what? So I tried it and it was pretty doggone good when served with Chiabata bread. Warm and filling with just a little bit of tang to it, I adjusted and tweaked the recipe I used to make it more my own. I used fresh carrots and potatoes which, I think, makes the difference.
Sauerkraut Soup
Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
2.5 cupswater
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4-5 small potatoes, diced
1 T butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. kielbasa sausage
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sauerkraut
1 t. fresh dill weed (or dried)
salt and pepper
Directions
In a stock pot, melt butter and stir in onions, cooking until clear. Add garlic and stir, cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. Add cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, water, broth, sauerkraut, carrots, potatoes and sausage, stirring to mix. Sprinkle with dill, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to a slow simmer, cooking for 1 hour.
As always, my recipes are not set in stone. You are free to change things up or add ingredients. You do YOU! Here are a few of the substituttions I’ve made.
- Since it’s so soon after Thanksgiving, I have beau coup jars of turkey broth in the freezer, so that’s what I used instead of chicken broth.
- I used red onion but you substitute what you prefer – red, sweet yellow, vidalia . . . your choice
- You can either used pre-minced garlic or mince your own cloves (which I prefer)
- If you’re in a hurry, you can substitute canned carrots and canned potatoes in place of the fresh variety
- Kilebasa and other smoked sausage products have been reduced in size from 16 oz to 12 oz. I personally do not like sausage but I cook with it because it adds flavor and my family likes it. I cut the sausage into slices and then cut each slice in half. The missing 4 oz did not take away from the soup at all
This can also be made in the crockpot – simply saute your onions and garlic and add into your crockpot along with the other ingredients. Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.
It was warm, filling, tasty and while I would not make this every week, it will probably find it’s way onto the menu during the winter months on a regular basis. If you decide to try this recipe, please comment below and let me know how it turned out?
Bon appetit!
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