Apparently, you cannot travel through Central Europe without encountering Kapustnica.  Different countries have different versions and similar sounding names.  I received my sauerkraut soup baptism in Slovakia.  This ubiquitous soup is adored by everyone, and it is a popular Christmas dish.  However, no matter the season, you can find kapustnica at the playground cafes, local eateries, fine dining establishments, and your babicka’s (grandmother’s) kitchen.

After a brisk day of rollicking in a local park in Bratislava (Slovakia), we adjourned to the park’s ancient stone café and ordered schnitzel and kapustnica along with some complementary beverages and lovely bread.  The hearty soup, with loads of pork products and perfectly tangy sauerkraut in a clean, flavorful broth, was indeed Heavenly.

This is my daughter’s new favorite soup (edging out minestrone and Italian wedding soup).  After a couple days’ separation from the soup, we made our own at home.  It was as delightful as ever. Since returning to the states, I tried my hand at making it again.  My internet searches revealed great variations, but I wanted to try my best to replicate what I experienced in Slovakia.  Mr. Artifact proclaimed it the best soup he has ever had.

Kapustnica/Sauerkraut Soup (4-6 servings)

• 1 pound pork shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes, salted lightly and refrigerated
• 1 andouille sausage, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• ¼ C salt pork or bacon, chopped into lardons
• ¼ C lard or butter or olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 2 C)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 C)
• Shallots, chopped into ½ inch pieces (1 C)
• 1 T diced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 allspice corns/berries
• 8 peppercorns
• 3 C potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 C broth
• 3 C water
• 2 C sauerkraut with juice (preferably homemade)
• ½ t paprika
• 1 spring fresh thyme (or ½ t dried thyme)
• Salt and pepper
• ½ c plain yogurt
• Celery leaves to top

Method

• Melt the lard and brown the salt pork/lardons and pork (but NOT the sausage).  You may need to do several batches to avoid crowing the pan.
• Remove the porky things to a bowl.
• Sauté the veggies (carrots, shallots, celery, garlic) in the hot oil until coated and fragrant.
• Add the pork back in.
• Add the bay, allspice, peppercorns.
• Add the broth and water.
• Cover and simmer on low for 2-3 hours or until the pork is tender.
• Add the tomato puree and the paprika.
• Add the sausage and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender.
• Once the potatoes are fork tender, turn off the heat and add the sauerkraut.  Don’t skimp on any of that nice juice that comes with the kraut.
• Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• To serve, top with fresh celery leaves and add a dollop of yogurt (or sour cream depending on your taste. Frankly, I like the yogurt.)

Other:  traditional Slovak Kapustnica has some reconstituted dried mushrooms. These are awesome.  I encourage you to add them.  Other recipes add chopped apples or prunes, juniper berries, cloves, carraway seeds, and nutmeg.  Now, not all recipes add all of these, but these are some of the variations.  Frankly, I think the addition of much more than the original recipe (exception of dried mushrooms) would be a bit busy.  But you decide!

You will note in the pictures that I used half onions with cloves in one prep.  My recipe above uses shallots and omits cloves.  This is more of a technique than a recipe, and I hope you will be empowered to explore and create your own family version of this classic dish.

Tesit sa! (Enjoy!)

And Stay Briny,

–Stacey