Kapustnica
Sauerkraut soup with sausage and mushrooms- Yield
- Serves 8
- Active
- 40 minutes
- Total
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
The story
Kapustnica, a thick sauerkraut soup with smoked meat, sausage, and dried mushrooms, is regarded as the most recognizable Slovak Christmas Eve dish, and its recipe varies so much from region to region — and even from house to house — that Slovakia holds kapustnica cook-offs every year, with dozens of versions simmering side by side. Some families add prunes for a gentle sweetness that balances the sourness of the cabbage, others insist on smoked ribs as the base, and still others on a combination of several kinds of meat. The soup is often cooked days in advance because, like many sauerkraut-based dishes, it only gains depth of flavor with time — many Slovak grandmothers maintain that kapustnica is not at its best until the third day. It is served as the first course of Christmas Eve dinner, before the fish and the other dishes. For Slovak families in the diaspora, kapustnica is often “that dish” — the one whose smell is recognized even by children who have never been to Slovakia.
Ingredients
- 3 cups sauerkraut, with some of its juice
- 1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced
- 1/2 lb smoked pork ribs or ham, cubed
- 1 oz dried mushrooms, soaked and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
- 6 cups water or broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sour cream, for serving
Method
- In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic until softened, then stir in the paprika.
- Add the smoked meats and brown lightly.
- Add the sauerkraut, soaked mushrooms, water or broth, and prunes if using.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the flavors have melded and the meats are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream — kapustnica is even better the next day.