Polish Sauerkraut Soup is a soul-warming dish made with tender pork ribs simmered until falling off the bone. Earthy potatoes, sweet carrots, and onions add body to the broth, while tangy sauerkraut gives it the signature bite that makes it so comforting. The soup is seasoned with aromatic dried herbs and a touch of smoked paprika for a deep, smoky flavor that complements the richness of the pork. Each bowl is finished with a dollop of cool, creamy sour cream for the perfect balance of flavors.
This is a super comforting and hearty dish that is full of flavor. You can customize the seasoning to your liking although I liked it a lot as is. I added extra sauerkraut because we love it. You could also add some Polish Sausage or kielbasa if you wanted even more meat in it. I used pork spare ribs to make the broth and for the shredded meat. If you can, you do want to make the broth from scratch with the pork because it flavors the broth and also gives you the tender pieces of pork for the soup.
I love to make soup, and have many good soup recipes posted here. Check out the full list here.
Polish Sauerkraut Soup
Ingredients
- 6+ cups water
- 1-2 lbs pork spareribs or ribs
- 1 whole onion peeled, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk for broth
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion minced
- 1 carrot minced
- 2 celery ribs minced
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups sauerkraut with juices
- 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried dill plus more for topping
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Add the water to a large pot and add the ribs , peeled whole onion, carrot and celery stalk. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 1-2 hours, until you can remove the meat from the bones.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and shred the meat.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a stock pot and add the onion, carrot and celery along with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are translucent. Add the strained broth, sauerkraut and juice, bay leaf, caraway seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, smoked paprika, italian seaoning and dill. Simmer until the meat is full tender, then add the potatoes and simmer for another 20-30 minutes until they are also tender. Taste and season as needed.
- Remove the bay leaf and spoon into bowls. Top with dollops of sour cream and more dried dill.