This time of year with BBQ season in full swing I always buy a jar of sauerkraut. Often I have some on my smokie or hot dog coupled with cowboy candy and all the fixings. It’s one of my favourite indulgences. I love a good hot dog and the bun is essentially a vehicle for all the fixings. This often leaves me in a quandary. What the hell do I do with the rest of the jar of Sauerkraut? Don’t get me wrong, I love sauerkraut but not to the point where I’ll eat the whole balance of the jar on it’s own. And then I popped in on my mom and dad.
My mom and I share a love of all things tart and pickled is sometimes included in that list. As she’s offering me food (the thing mothers always do) she mentions she has cabbage soup…. but you know…. sauerkraut cabbage soup. I’m sure this isn’t the first time I’ve ever had it but it immediately made me jump at the meal. As I’m devouring the delicious bowl I ask her for the recipe…. and this is how it goes.
Boil some potatoes in a pot, cook them separately from the sauerkraut, cooking the potatoes in any vinegar will make it difficult to get them soft. So cook them separately. “Do I actually have to ‘cook’ the sauerkraut?” I ask. ‘Yes’ she says, “it needs to be softened”. But she is using homemade sauerkraut, not store bought like I will be. “Make a roux with a nice diced onion and add it to the pot. I add some bacon and you can sweeten it a bit to taste.”
This morning I have a few things to do and then I come home hungry and craving a bowl of soup. The jar of sauerkraut in the fridge is beckoning and I acquiesce. I kept track as best I could and my instructions are better than my mom’s but just follow along and trust your taste buds.
- 1 jar of sauerkraut (minus a few servings used for hot dogs 🙂
- 1 lb good bacon
- 3-4 potatoes
- 1 large onion diced
- 1/4 cup butter
- splash of oil (so the butter doesn’t burn)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- water (2-4 cups)
- dash of salt
- up to 1/4 cup of sugar
Cook the bacon however you like (I generally broil ours in the oven) chop in to pieces and set aside. Dice potatoes into about 1 inch cubes and place in a soup pot, cover with enough water and as much as you want soup. Add the caraway seeds, a dash of salt and boil until cooked. In the meantime add butter and oil and onions in to a frying pan and cook until onions are translucent. Then add flour and stir often cooking on low heat until the flour is just barely golden turn off heat and set aside.
Once the potatoes are fork tender add the sauerkraut, onion roux and bacon. Bring to a gentle simmer to thicken. If it’s too thick add a little water to get the consistency you like. Add a bit of sugar at a time to tame down the vinegar and voila you have a delicious sauerkraut soup.
As I type up this post I am snacking on my THIRD bowl of soup. So so good!
Bon Appetite!
