Polish Sauerkraut Soup (Kapuśniak)
A classic Polish soup featuring sauerkraut, root vegetables, and savory broth, guaranteed to warm your soul with each comforting spoonful.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil any cooking oil will do
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 medium leek finely sliced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 medium parsnip (Optional) diced into 1/2 inch squares
- 1/2 medium celery root (Optional) diced into 1/2 inch squares
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds whole or grined
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp allspice whole or grined
- 8 juniper berries whole or grined
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 lb sauerkraut chopped and somewhat drained
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley (Optional) chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and sauté the onion and the leek for 3-minutes over medium heat.
- Add garlic, caraway seeds, marjoram, allspice, juniper berries, and bay leaves and continue to cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the carrot (and optional parsnip and celery root) and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften.
- Add the sauerkraut and the veggie stock.
- Add the potatoes and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Season with salt and pepper. If Kapuśniak needs more sour 'kick', add some sauerkraut juice.
- Spoon the soup into bowls.
- Optional: Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley.
Notes
- I serve it with an Impossible Spicy Sausage and crusty bread.
Just heat up an Impossible Spicy Sausage in the microwave, cut into slices or chucks, and put on top of the soup. It's super simple and makes my taste buds happy.
- If you have the optional parsnip and celery root, your soup will be more bold in flavor and more traditionally Polish. I often cook without them and sometimes prefer the simplicity and taste.
- I fork out the sauerkraut if it's already chopped in juice. Some of it's juice is good in the soup. If it comes in whole leaves, just roughly chop them.
- Any type of potato for this recipe will do. Waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes might work the best, but I use Russet if that's what I have in the van.