Kapuśniak: Polish Sauerkraut Soup

Step 1

Divide the ribs into smaller pieces, ideally of such a size that they fit easily in the soup plate. Season them with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Grab a frying pan and heat up 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Fry them on each side until they start to turn golden. Moved these fried ribs into a pot (ideally sized at 3 qt / 3 litres or bigger). Don’t wash the frying pan just yet!

Step 3

Chop the leek and dice the onion finely. Fry these veggies on the fat that remained from frying ribs. At the end of frying, add crushed garlic clove and spices: one tablespoon of dried marjoram and half a teaspoon of caraway seeds. When heated, the spices release their essential oils, giving Kapuśniak its unique taste. Put the fried ingredients aside for now.

Step 4

Peel the vegetables (2 carrots, a parsley root and a chunk of a celery root). Dice them into squares (roughly with half-inch/1 cm sides). Drop them into the pot with ribs. Add 4 bay leaves and 6 allspice berries. Then, pour 2 quarts (around 2 litres) of water.

Step 5

Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, until both ribs and vegetables soften.

Step 6

Peel and cube the potatoes, add them to the soup and continue cooking until they soften (that takes around 15 minutes)

Step 7

As you wait, drain the sauerkraut (keep the juices!) and chop it roughly. Add them to the soup, together with the onion, leek and spices we have fried before.

Step 8

Continue cooking on a low heat for a further 30 minutes, in that time the sauerkraut will soften and release its aromas.

Step 9

Have a taste. Season with salt and pepper. If Kapuśniak needs more sour ‘kick’, add some leftover sauerkraut juice.

Step 10

Pour the soup into bowls / soup plates, making sure that everyone gets some veggies and meat. Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley.