Kapusniak Recipes

KAPUśNIAK: POLISH SAUERKRAUT SOUP

Steps:

• 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.
• 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!
• 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.
• 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.
• Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, until both ribs and vegetables soften.
• Peel and cube the potatoes, add them to the soup and continue cooking until they soften (that takes around 15 minutes)
• 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.
• Continue cooking on a low heat for a further 30 minutes, in that time the sauerkraut will soften and release its aromas.
• Have a taste. Season with salt and pepper. If Kapuśniak needs more sour 'kick', add some leftover sauerkraut juice.
• Pour the soup into bowls / soup plates, making sure that everyone gets some veggies and meat. Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley.

POLISH CABBAGE AND SAUERKRAUT SOUP (KAPUśNIAK)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, sear pork ribs on both sides over medium-high heat. There should be enough fat on the ribs so additional fat should not be required. If the ribs are very lean, lightly spray the pot with cooking spray before searing. Remove browned ribs to a plate and reserve.
• Add bacon to the pot and fry until most of the fat has rendered out. Add onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic to the pot and cook until onion is translucent. Add fresh cabbage and cook until it collapses. Return spareribs to the pot and add ham bone or hock, sauerkraut, tomato sauce, beef stock, paprika, bay leaf, and sugar. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 2 hours or until meat falls from the bones.
• Remove ribs and ham bone or hock from the soup, let cool slightly and remove all bones and cartilage from meat. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces, if necessary, and return to the pot. If you prefer a slightly more sour soup, add some of the reserved sauerkraut juice.
• Cool the soup in an ice-water bath and then refrigerate. The next day, skim off the congealed fat and reheat. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve in warmed bowls with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley , if desired.
• Enjoy!

POLISH SAUERKRAUT SOUP (KAPUSNIAK)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place ham hocks or ham bone and water in a Dutch oven or other large pot. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam. Add onion, bay leaf, peppercorns , and parsley. Return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 45 minutes, or until meat falls off the bones.
• Remove meat from broth, dice and return to the pot with barley, sauerkraut, and caraway seeds, if using. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer , uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes.
• If soup becomes too thick, add meat stock or water. If a more sour taste is desired, add some reserved kraut juice.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove ​the ​ bay leaf .
• Serve in heated bowls with hearty rye bread .

UKRAINIAN SAUERKRAUT SOUP (KAPUSNYAK)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, place spareribs, water, chopped onion, garlic (if using), bay leaf , and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface.
• Reduce heat and simmer until the meat is ready to fall off the bones. You may need to add more water.
• Remove meat and, when cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces. Reserve.
• To the Dutch oven with boiling liquid, add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms (along with strained soaking liquid if using dried mushrooms), and sauerkraut.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauerkraut is tender, about 30 minutes. Add more water, if necessary.
• Adjust the seasonings. Fork blend 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Temper this mixture with a few ladles of hot soup . Return the tempered sour cream to soup and whisk until well incorporated and the soup has thickened slightly.
• Return the meat to the soup, heat through and serve with fresh parsley or dill sprigs and rye bread on the side.

KAPUSNIAK

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan; add the celery, carrots, apples, and mushrooms (taste the water in which you soaked the mushrooms; if it tastes good, add that too). Simmer over low heat until everything is soft, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and sauerkraut, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the caraway seeds. Stir the sauerkraut mixture into the simmering stock and cook until the soup thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt if necessary, pepper, and the reserved sauerkraut juice.