I’m a fan of fermented foods: kimchi, miso, wine, you name it! So when the folks at Cleveland Kitchen reached out and offered to send a shipment of their kraut, of course I said yes.
As soon as the goods arrived on my porch, I was tempted to throw together a pastrami sandwich on marble rye. But I prepared this kielbasa and sauerkraut soup to help ward off the cold instead. It may sound odd, but the combination of smoked sausage and sour cabbage is delicious.
Kielbasa and sauerkraut soup is easy to make and packs a flavor punch. And it’s chock-full of good-for-you ingredients, like carrots, leeks and winter squash. If you’re short on time, consider using canned versus dried butter beans.
Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking.
- ½ cup dried Italian butter beans
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 6 ounces kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and then cut diagonally into ¼" pieces
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into ½" cubes (see notes)
- 2 cups sauerkraut, drained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
- Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with cold water; cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Drain well.
- Place beans in a medium pot and fill with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pot, cook bacon on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, about 6 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Add kielbasa to pot and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Remove all but ¼ cup of fat from pot. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute.
- Add butternut squash, sauerkraut, chicken broth, cooked beans, ¾ of the cooked bacon and cooked kielbasa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with remaining bacon and parsley, if using.
