Mar 31 2015
My wife and I both like sauerkraut so you would think that in all the years I have been cooking I would have tried sauerkraut soup. This is the first time that I can ever remember making some. I guess I love pork and kraut and it tastes so good I always made kraut with smoked pork roasts, sausage, brats or ribs and slow cooked it. I usually served mashed potatoes with it.
For my soup I chose a recipe by Rachel Ray that sounded good. I had almost 2 lbs. of kraut that needed used and some bacon and ham in the freezer. I ended up buying some diced ham since the package I had was too large and didn’t want to thaw it all out. What I bought was just 8 oz. and the recipe called for 12 oz. I had two links of smoked sausage, about 8 oz. I thawed to add too.
Rachel did hers in a soup pot and I decided to adapt it to a Crockpot, then I could bake a loaf of my Bread in 5 peasant bread to have with the soup and have time to relax before supper. I browned up the bacon, then the ham and then the sausage separately and added it to my Crockpot. I had enough grease left so I didn’t use any butter. I sautéed the onions added the garlic and carrots; they went in the pot.
I peeled and diced the potatoes in about ½ inch pieces. I put them in the pot along with salt and pepper; I should have sautéed then a while too since they were not as done as I like. Next I added the cannellini beans. I drained the sauerkraut and added it with a bay leaf. I didn’t rinse the kraut since we like it sour.
I added the quart of chicken broth and looked like enough liquid so I didn’t add any water. The Crockpot was on high and it was 2:00 when I got it all in.
I got my bread cloaked and let rise for an hour. I let it rise longer than the 40 minutes per recipe since my prior loaves had good texture but a little dense. I thought it helped and the finished bread looked better. At 3:15 I got my bread in the oven and turned the Crockpot down to low. After the bread was baked I cleaned up my kitchen some. My wife came home from getting her teeth cleaned and finished cleaning up for me. I laid down for a half hour nap.
At 4:45 I checked my soup and stirred it all up. I tasted it and the potatoes were not done enough. I turned it back on high. It was about 6:15 when I served it up. The potatoes were done but could have been softer. The wife and I both thought this was good soup and the crusty peasant bread went well with it. The smoked sausage was a good addition too.
Smokin Don
Rachels recipe
Ham bean bacon kraut soup
By Rachel Ray
Ingredients
• A drizzle olive or vegetable oil
• 4 ounces lean, smoky bacon, chopped
• 12 ounces ham steak, 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 starchy potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large fresh bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• One 15-ounce can white or red kidney beans
• Salt and pepper
• A handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Heat the oil in soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the bacon and brown. Remove the bacon, and reserve. Add the ham and brown, then remove and reserve. Melt in the butter, and add the garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots and bay leaf. Partially cover and cook to soften, 10 minutes. Add the stock, 2 cups water, the reserved ham and bacon, the sauerkraut and beans, and simmer until potatoes are cooked and soup flavor combines, 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
Cool completely and store for a make-ahead meal.
To serve, reheat over medium heat. Add the parsley just before serving and pass bread at the table.
