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Kapusniak
Sauerkraut and millet soup
Western Ukrainian sauerkraut soup with millet and potato
Kapusniak is the sour, warming sauerkraut soup of western Ukraine, cooked through the long winters in Lviv and the Galician villages, when barrels of home-fermented cabbage stand in every cellar. Potato and a handful of millet make it filling, and a spoon of tomato paste and smoked paprika round out the tang. It is famous as the soup for the morning after a wedding or New Year party, and is often cooked with smoked pork; this vegan version gets its depth from a well-browned zazharka instead. Chef's tip: taste your sauerkraut first and rinse it only if it is very salty or sharp, because the brine is where the flavour lives. Common mistake: adding the sauerkraut together with the potatoes; the acid stops them softening, so let the potatoes cook first.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 carrotcoarsely grated
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 7 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 2 ⅛ oz milletrinsed in hot water until it runs clear
- 14 oz potatoespeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 14 oz sauerkrautwith a little of its brine, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dillchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add 1 carrot and cook for 5 minutes more, until the oil turns orange and the vegetables smell sweet.
10 minStep 2: Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens a shade.
1 minStep 3: Pour in 7 ½ cups vegetable stock, add 2 ⅛ oz millet, 14 oz potatoes and 2 bay leaves and bring to the boil. Simmer over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender and the millet has swelled.
15 minStep 4: Add 14 oz sauerkraut and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, until the cabbage is soft and the soup tastes pleasantly sour.
18 minStep 5: Stir in 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp black pepper and ½ tsp salt; taste first, as sauerkraut can be salty. Turn off the heat, add 2 tbsp dill, cover and rest 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve with rye bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kapusniak take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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