Sauerkraut Soup with Sausage

Using leftover kielbasa and sauerkraut, you can make the BEST Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup recipe in no time! It’s hearty, delicious and easy to make!

 

What is Kielbasa?

Kielbasa is collectively any type of tubed meat coming from Poland. It usually comes un a U-shape. You’ll sometimes see it labeled “polska” which just translates to “Poland”.

You also see similar recipes coming from the Ukraine and Germany, but they use a different type of local sausage and have small differences.

Some people can’t get their hands on kielbasa, so feel free to use another type of sausage. I do recommend using another smoked rope sausage as opposed to a spicy Italian sausage or breakfast sausage though.

It’s often served with things like fresh cabbage, sauerkraut salad or sauerkraut casserole. If you aren’t a fan of sauerkraut, you can serve it with potato pancakes.

You can even use turkey kielbasa to make this easy Polish Sauerkraut Soup if you’d prefer to. It saves a few calories and is overall a little healthier!

Ingredients

The main ingredients for this soup can be used from leftover slow cooker sauerkraut and sausage! The rest can be easily found in local grocery stores.

• Kielbasa – Kielbasa is a seasoned Polish sausage, so a tubed meat, made from pork. It is generally smoked and contains garlic, among other proprietary blends of seasonings like caraway seeds.
• Sauerkraut – You can buy pre-made sauerkraut from the store, or you can even make your own. I have a great homemade sauerkraut recipe if you’re feeling fancy.
• Butter – I always like to use unsalted butter so that I can better control he salt content of this hearty soup.
• Russet potato – For this recipe, I used russet potatoes. But red potatoes or yellow potatoes would also work well, while providing a different color to the mix as well. 
• Celery – Like traditional chicken noodle soup, I add chopped celery not only for flavor, but also for texture.
• Sweet onion – I like to use a sweet yellow onion for this, but you could also use a white onion. Some recipes even add bell peppers and refer to it as “sausage and peppers” which to me is also a baked Italian dish. 
• Dried thyme – I love adding fresh herbs to dishes, but for sake of ease and because I always have it on hand, I used dried thyme for this particular soup.
• Chicken broth – Alternatively, you can use chicken stock, but this acts as the base of our soup. Beef broth will also work.
• Apple juice – Apple juice gives this easy soup a slightly sweet flavor. You can also use apple cider instead for more of a bite.
• Salt and pepper – To season this sausage sauerkraut soup, we just use a simple blend of ground white pepper and fine sea salt to taste. You can use black pepper if you wish. 
• Sour cream – I like to add a little creaminess to my soup, so a dollop of sour cream on top as garnish is perfect.

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this sausage and sauerkraut soup your own. Here are a few ideas.

• Creamy sauerkraut soup – To make this comforting soup creamy, try pouring in some heavy cream. You could also add a can of cream of chicken soup.
• Sausage – If you aren’t a big fan of kielbasa sausage, you can swap it out for any other kind of sausage like italian sausage.
• Vegetables – In addition to the celery and onions, you could add bell pepper, grated carrots, scallions or chives.
• Seasoning – Take the flavor up a notch by adding ginger, fresh garlic, a bay leaf or any number of herbs or spices.
• Cheese – Like french onion soup, you can top your bowl with a slice of cheese if you’d like. Swiss cheese would be delicious. Just put under the broiler on medium high heat for a few minutes to melt it.

How to Make Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup

You are going to love how easy it is to make this hot soup when sweater weather rolls around!

1. Melt butter in bottom of the pan. In a large Dutch oven or large pot, melt butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped potatoes.
2. Sauté potatoes, onion and celery. Sauté until potato starts to turn translucent. Add onion and celery, cooking for an additional few minutes until they are just about to soften, but not limp.
3. Add kielbasa, sauerkraut and thyme. Stir in kielbasa, sauerkraut and dried thyme, cooking for another couple of minutes.
4. Pour in broth and simmer. Add chicken broth. Bring to a low simmer until potatoes are fully softened.
5. Add apple juice and seasonings. Stir in apple juice and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
6. Garnish. If you like sour cream, add 1/2 cup to add creaminess to the soup or use a garnish on top of plated soup

What to Serve with Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup

I like to serve mine with a slice of rye bread and make it an entire meal! You can serve yours with a side of any kind of fresh vegetables like broccoli or carrots.

It would be great as a side or appetizer to any meal like pork chops or a juicy steak too.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup

You can make this soup ahead of time, and in fact some people would argue that may be better the next day so that the flavors have time to sit and let the flavors marry.

If stored properly in an airtight container, it will stay good in the fridge for up to five days.

Can I Freeze This Soup?

You can definitely freeze this soup. In fact, I don’t suggest freezing sauerkraut because when its thawed it gets all soggy and gross. However, freezing it as a soup it’s already waterlogged and you’re not going to notice much of a difference.

Unless you’re one of the people that likes to get a little toothiness and bite out of your sauerkraut when you eat the soup. In this case I don’t suggest freezing your Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup.

More Soup Recipes

In winter times, there is nothing love more than a hot bowl of soup! Here are some of our favorites.