Ever tried a sauerkraut soup? Years ago I got myself involved in a moving adventure. It was some affair like starting in the 4th floor of an apartment house & ending up in the 3rd floor of another apartment house w/ lots of boxes, however, only few standard moving boxes, lots of baskets, suitcases etc. I assume all of you know what I’m talking about! (No lifts!!!)
Then … suddenly in the mid of all hauling when we all had managed to arrive at the new apartment house … the mother of the bride (i. e. the mother of the girlfriend moving in) appeared w/ a big pot filled w/ soup diffusing a tantalizing aroma. It wasn’t a hot summer day nor an ice-cold winter day – just one of these days when you asked yourself: „Do I need a coat? Or will a jacket do?“ A hot soup wasn’t really on my agenda, but these flavors that filled the space …
Soon we all sat down having paper cups w/ steaming sauerkraut soup in our hands adding some fresh broken baguette. It was delicious: hearty, a little sour, a little spicy … Everybody asked for the recipe – so did I & I managed to stumble about it on and off during the next years.
So now I decided to do a sauerkraut soup which I had made years ago rather often, but then … I don’t know why … this soup was no longer in vogue with me. So now …
Sauerkraut: I assume everybody knows sauerkraut … I think of white cabbage, finely shredded & pressed, salted & pasteurised. Simple sauerkraut: no added white wine, no added champagne or whatever. However, you see: I went into my trusted food store & bought a screw top jar filled w/ sauerkraut. I’ve never made sauerkraut by myself – & I cannot remember having ever seen my mother preparing it although she sometimes recounted it from her childhood in a village in the east.
What do we need for our sauerkraut soup?
- minced beef
- spring onions
- garlic
- beef stock
- tomato purée
- ground sweet paprika
- ground caraway
… & of course sauerkraut!
We start with chopping the spring onions & fry the minced beef w/ onions & garlic.
We mix beef stock, tomato purée and the herbs in a pot & bring it to a boil, add the beef mess & let it simmer for about 10 min.
…& finally we add the sauerkraut!
(Drain the liquid beforehand!)
Let it simmer for another 5-10 min … ready!
We get 2 big bowls for dinner (together w/ some fresh crispy baguette). Or we take 4 smaller bowls & serve the soup as a starter for 4 people.
Enjoy!
- 250 g minced beef
- 5-6 spring onions
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 400 ml beef stock
- 1 can tomato purée (70 g)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp ground sweet paprika (not heaped)
- 1/4 tsp ground caraway
- 150 g sauerkraut
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- Chop the spring onions & press the garlic.
- Grab a pan & fry the minced beef, the spring onions & the garlic in peanut oil for about 10 min.
- Crush the minced beef while frying.
- Grab a pot & mix beef stock, tomato purée, sugar & spices.
- Bring the stock to a boil.
- Add the fried beef mess & start simmering for about 10 min.
- Add sauerkraut & simmer for another 5-10 min.
- Ready for serving.
