Sauerkraut comes in such large jars and I sometimes worry about picking one up because I just know that I will have that half used jar sitting in the fridge taking up space for months afterwards. Last week I could not resist trying the sauerkraut cabbage roll soup and that meant picking up one of those jars of sauerkraut. While I was enjoying a bowl of the soup it reminded me that it had been a while since I last made my favorite pirogies which are stuffed with sauerkraut, ham, mushrooms and onions. One thought led to the other and next I was wondering about a soup made with the sauerkraut, ham, mushrooms and onion flavour combination and I knew exactly how I was going to finish off that jar of sauerkraut! With the ham and sauerkraut the soup had the flavour department covered but I was thinking that I needed to bulk the soup up a bit and that sounded like the perfect opportunity to throw in a grain and barley seemed like the right choice. The pirogi filling inspired soup turned out really well and it certainly hit the spot on a cold winter day! It is always nice to find new ways to enjoy your favourite flavour combinations.
Ham and Mushroom Sauerkraut Soup
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 (8 ounce) package cremini mushrooms (diced)
- 2 cups ham (chopped in a food processor)
- 2 cups sauerkraut (with liquid)
- 4 cups ham broth or chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1/3 cup barley (omit for gluten-free)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the mushrooms and saute until all of the moisture has evaporated.
- Add the ham, sauerkraut, broth, barley, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the barley is tender, about 30-45 minutes.
Velva says
February 10, 2010 at 3:12 amI have never enjoyed this type of soup. Looks absolutely delightful.
Toni says
February 10, 2010 at 5:35 amWouldn't have thought to put sauerkraut in a soup, but I'm in!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
February 10, 2010 at 8:16 amThat soup is great! A succulent dish!
Cheers,
Rosa
Diana's Cocina says
February 10, 2010 at 2:00 pmWhat's not to like! I'm new to your blog and I'm loving it!!! I'm your new follower.
Monika says
February 10, 2010 at 4:04 pmThis is one of the things I love about your blog; you really make use of one ingredient and incorporate it into a number of dishes. Thanks for the continued inspiration! I'll have to try this; I LOVE sauerkraut!
alice says
February 10, 2010 at 4:50 pmYay! I have been needing to use up a giant jar of Sauerkraut! All of your variations sound awesome… especially the pirogies!
Helene says
February 10, 2010 at 7:36 pmI really like Sauerkraut and never did a soup with it. Looks really good.
Chef Aimee says
February 10, 2010 at 9:29 pmI really like this idea – thanks for sharing! This is really clever!
jose manuel says
February 10, 2010 at 9:52 pmExcelente sopa y combinación de sabores. Un saludo desde España
Jenn/CinnamonQuill says
February 10, 2010 at 10:12 pmHow do you come up with these ideas?! Brilliant, I tell you!
carly says
February 11, 2010 at 6:04 amThis looks a lot like bigos, but… brothier. 🙂
dragonwithin says
February 11, 2010 at 9:37 pmI never knew sauerkraut could be used in soups. This one looks simple to make and is quite an interesting sight if you ask me. I would try this out asap.
Olga says
February 16, 2010 at 5:44 pmIn Russia, we used to make a sauerkraut soup with potatoes, onions, and carrots. This is definitely a fun and inventive use of sauerkraut too.
Ina zipper leggings says
April 9, 2010 at 11:19 amMmm, I love this soup, I used to eat it in Finland, they make it in a similar way. This recipe reminded me how much I liked it. I will try to make it myself.