Name: Polish Sauerkraut Soup (Kapusniak)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sunflower oil; 1 large onion, diced; 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, finely sliced; 1 medium carrot, diced; 1 medium parsnip, diced; 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds; 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1 teaspoon allspice; 6-8 juniper berries; 2-3 bay leaves; 400 g (1 lb) sauerkraut, drained; 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 500 g); 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable stock; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

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Polish sauerkraut soup is a simple yet hearty recipe that’s just perfect to enjoy on a cold day. Also known as kapusniak, this sauerkraut soup is naturally vegan and can be easily customized to your liking.

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From time to time, I like to try out soups that seem quite unusual but end up being so delicious that I end up cooking them again and again.

This Polish sauerkraut soup is one of those recipes. Made with very simple ingredients, this soup is called “kapusniak” in Polish, and it’s just the perfect thing to try if you love all things sauerkraut.

This kapusniak recipe is vegan as written, but you’ll find that in Poland people typically make it with a ham bone, smoked ham hocks or bacon.

Why you’ll love this Polish sauerkraut soup?

It has such interesting flavours! Kapusniak soup is all about that sauerkraut zing that works great with the other ingredients, which include onion, leek, carrot, parsnip and potatoes.
It’s easy to customize. You can make this soup vegan or add some type of smoked meat for extra flavour.
It’s just the perfect soup for hangovers. If you’ve been looking for the perfect hangover soup recipe, you’ve just found it!

A bowl of sauerkraut soup with bread on the side

What goes into this kapusniak soup recipe?

Oil — I used sunflower oil, but you can use any kind of neutral vegetable oil, such as canola oil, grapeseed oil or light olive oil.

Onion — I like to dice the onion on the smaller side but it’s perfectly fine to cut it into large chunks.

Leek — You only need to use the white and light green parts of the leek for this vegan Polish soup.

A bowl of vegan soup with sauerkraut and potatoes

Carrot and parsnip — It’s best to dice these about the same size as the onion so they cook evenly.

Garlic — Fresh garlic is best for this type of soup. You can chop it finely or crush it.

Herbs and spices — A mix of caraway seeds, marjoram, allspice, juniper berries and bay leaves infuses this sauerkraut soup with so much flavour.

Sauerkraut — The best sauerkraut to use in this soup is the one you can get in a Polish deli. I drain it well without rinsing, but you can rinse it if you want.

Potatoes — Any kind of boiling potatoes work great in this soup.

A bowl of Polish sauerkraut soup with bread

How to make Polish sauerkraut soup with potatoes

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Add the leek, carrot and parsnip and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften.

Stir in the garlic, caraway seeds, marjoram, allspice, juniper berries and bay leaves and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the sauerkraut and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Next, add a ladle of veggie stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the rest of the stock and simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add a bit more stock if needed.

Season to taste and serve with rye bread or your favourite crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

Just like in the case of most soups, kapusniak tastes better the next day. You can make it ahead or double up the recipe to enjoy it for a couple of lunches.
Sauerkraut soup will keep well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot.
The soup will freeze well for up to three months.

Recipe notes and tips

If you want to add meat to sauerkraut soup, cook it along with the onion and other veggies.
Some meat ideas to add to this soup include kielbasa or smoked bacon. You can even go the fusion way and use some pancetta.
Hearty rye bread is an excellent site for sauerkraut soup.

If you liked this Polish sauerkraut soup, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soup recipes:

Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Yield: 6