Kapuśniak: Polish Sauerkraut Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) pork ribs
• 3-4 smoked pork bones (optional)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 (200 g, 7 oz) medium white onion
• 1/2 leek
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 medium carrots (roughly 4.2 oz, 120 g)
• 1/3 celery root (roughly 3.5 oz, 100 g)
• 1 parsley root (roughly 2.1 oz, 60 g); can be substituted with more celery root
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 allspice berries
• water (2 lq quarts / 2 litres)
• 3 medium potatoes (roughly 8 oz, 230 g)
• 10.5 oz sauerkraut (roughly 300 g); make sure it wasn’t soured with vinegar!
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Divide the ribs into smaller pieces, ideally of...: 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.

2. 2

   Grab a frying pan and heat up 2...: 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!

3. 3

   Chop the leek and dice the onion finely....: 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 Kapu?niak its unique taste. Put the fried ingredients aside for now.

4. 4

   Peel the vegetables (2 carrots, a parsley root...: 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.

5. 5

   Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, until...: Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, until both ribs and vegetables soften.

6. 6

   Peel and cube the potatoes, add them to...: Peel and cube the potatoes, add them to the soup and continue cooking until they soften (that takes around 15 minutes)

7. 7

   As you wait, drain the sauerkraut (keep the...: 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.

8. 8

   Continue cooking on a low heat for a...: Continue cooking on a low heat for a further 30 minutes, in that time the sauerkraut will soften and release its aromas.

9. 9

   Have a taste. Season with salt and pepper....: Have a taste. Season with salt and pepper. If Kapu?niak needs more sour ‘kick’, add some leftover sauerkraut juice.

10. 10

    Pour the soup into bowls / soup plates,...: Pour the soup into bowls / soup plates, making sure that everyone gets some veggies and meat. Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley.