Sauerkraut Soup

ot kraut?  This a good way to use up a cup or so… . I can’t really call this a recipe but more of a method and a throw together type of quick and hearty soup for a cold winter’s night.  I also don’t have any pictures of the actual soup so ingredient photos will have to suffice 😉

You can mix or match any of these ingredients depending on your pantry.  Bacon or ham adds flavor.

Onions.

Garlic.

Carrots.

Celeriac.  Or you can use celery and potatoes.

Butter.

Milk.

Chicken broth.

Sauerkraut.

The pictures are nice but I like lists, so here is the list of my ingredients.  I won’t specify quantities because sometimes I make a small amount or maybe a big pot for lunch the next day.  A lot of what goes into the soup pot in a given week depends on how many carrots are in the bucket on the porch, and if there is milk that needs using up, not enough for cheese, and too much to drink…

Bacon
Butter
Flour (or thickener of your choice if gluten is a concern.)
Milk
Celery root or celery
Potatoes
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Bone Broth or Stock
Sauerkraut
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry several pieces of bacon until crisp, set bacon aside.  Rinse, trim and chop onions, garlic (optional), celery root, carrots (or vegetable mix of your choice) add to the pan with the rendered bacon fat.  Sweat the vegetables until they release their juice, add broth and cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft.  While the vegetables are cooking, make a béchamel sauce for your soup base.  I use equal parts flour and butter to make my roux.  When the roux is cooked to the color you prefer, add milk, and whisk ( I like these Best, wink, wink) continually over medium high heat until the mixture starts to bubble.  You can preheat your milk, but I find that just adding cold milk and being a good whisker will still yield a smooth soup base.  At this point when your sauce is smooth and the thickness you desire, remove from heat, add the vegetables, reserved bacon, and stir in the sauerkraut.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  I add the sauerkraut last to preserve the beneficial bacteria, I also don’t rinse the kraut, hence the reason I don’t salt until after I have added the kraut.

I like this soup for its ease in preparation and an added bonus is that even sauerkraut haters find that they like it.  🙂

ETA:  any kind of sausage is really good in this soup too.  The best part?  Eating the experiment 😉