Krautsuppe
Krautsuppe, known in Italian as zuppa di crauti, is a warming South Tyrolean farmhouse soup made with fermented cabbage, tender potatoes, and caraway seeds.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed pot
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- fat
- 11 g
- carbs
- 26 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 8 g
- calories
- 240 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion and speck strips to the melted butter.
- 3
Cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent.
- 4
Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute to make a pale roux.
- 5
Pour in the hot stock gradually, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- 6
Add the diced potatoes, drained sauerkraut, caraway seeds, and dried bay leaf.
- 7
Bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- 8
Lower the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- 9
Discard the bay leaf, taste, and season with salt and black pepper.
- 10
Ladle the hot soup into warm bowls and scatter fresh chives on top.
Chef's tips
Taste your raw sauerkraut before starting; if it is exceptionally sharp, rinse it once under cold running water and press dry. Lightly crush the caraway seeds between your fingers before dropping them in to unlock their full herbal aroma.
Ingredient substitutions
- Südtiroler Speck → smoked pancetta, or leave out entirely along with using vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
- plain flour → a cornflour slurry at the end of cooking to keep the soup gluten-free
Storage
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a small pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until steaming hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Over-rinsing the sauerkraut, which strips away all the pleasant acidity needed to balance the potatoes.
- •Cutting potato cubes too large, causing them to remain hard while the cabbage overcooks.
- •Boiling the soup vigorously rather than simmering, which breaks down the delicate texture of the broth.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Krautsuppe?
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