German Sauerkraut Soup (Sauerkrautsuppe)
Servings: 6
Calories: 364kcal
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 1 lbs ground meat I use an equal mixture of pork and beef. You can use all pork, all beef, veal, or a mixture of whatever meat you have and prefer. You can also use turkey or chicken if you wish or sausage meat.
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup yellow onion Dice 1 large onion finely, 1/4 for the meatballs, the rest for the soup.
- 1 cup bread I prefer to use white or whole-wheat sourdough bread to make the best meatballs. You can also use breadcrumbs. This is an excellent use for stale bread.
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon milk Or water. You may need slightly more or less.
- Salt & Pepper Just a small pinch of each, especially the salt as the soup broth will have salt.
For The Soup
- 1 quart bone broth I prefer homemade beef bone broth in this recipe. You can also use turkey, vegetable, chicken, or chicken feet bone broth instead. You can use water and stock cubes if you must.
- 2 cups sauerkraut Drained, not rinsed.
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika Use sweet, hot, or smoked, depending on your preferences.
- 1 large onion 1/4 cup set aside for meatballs
- 2 large carrots sliced on the diagonal
- 3 medium potatoes scrubbed, peeled, and roughly chopped.
Instructions
- Get all of your ingredients prepped: veggies washed clean and cut as directed. Set sauerkraut into a colander to drain, but do not rinse it. Get your meatball ingredients ready to go and don't forget to separate 1/4 cup of the diced onions for them.
For The Meatballs
- Soak the bread in a scant amount of milk or water, enough to make it damp and shaggy, not soaking. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat, the soaked bread, the egg, parsley, a pinch of salt, and the onion you set aside. Stir well to combine. Your hands are the best tool for this job but a stand mixer works even better. You want a denser mixture for meatballs, so don’t be afraid that you’ll over-mix them.
- Form meatballs into 1-inch balls and set them aside. They will be cooked raw directly in the broth.
For The Soup
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the rest of the diced onions in lard or oil over medium heat until light golden brown. 5-7 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and stir until no longer raw. 1-2 minutes.
- Add drained sauerkraut. Continue sautéing on medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add paprika and stir.
- Add beef broth, black pepper, meatballs, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Season soup with salt at the end of cooking as sauerkraut is already salty. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream, and crusty bread.
Notes
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Sauerkraut soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator and should be stored in a covered container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, and add a splash of water or stock to the pot if necessary.
It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, and then gently reheat it.
Be very gentle when reheating and do not stir more than necessary.
Raw meatballs can be made ahead or in large batches and frozen in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets before being transferred to bags for long-term storage. They can be added to soup directly from frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 673mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4890IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg
