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Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup with Paprika and Dill

Sausage and Sauerkraut Soup with Paprika and Dill

By Diane UngerOctober 28, 2022

  • Makes
    6 to 8 servings
  • Cook Time
    2½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    1 hour active
  • Rating

When Melissa Long moved from Cincinnati to Las Vegas in the early 2000s, she worked in a casino and became friends with a woman named Tatiana, who was from Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia). Occasionally Tatiana prepared a rustic, comforting soup that included pork ribs, smoked Polish sausage, sauerkraut, porcini mushrooms and cubed potatoes and that was lightly thickened with a roux of butter and flour. “She never used a recipe,” Long recalled. “It was from her memories growing up on her parents’ farm outside Prague. It’s probably been 10 years since I’ve had this soup and I still dream of it. The flavors hit every taste bud.” The broth, she said, was light and umami-rich while the pork was fall-off-the-bone tender and the sausage brought tasty fat and smokiness. Long searched the Internet for a similar soup, but had no luck, so she turned to Milk Street. Her description seemed to match a classic Czech soup called zelňačka, which means “cabbage.” For our version of Tatiana’s soup, we included a few ingredients commonly used in zelňačka—paprika, caraway and fresh herbs—along with a ham hock for a smokiness. We shred the tender meat off the bones and return it to the broth at the end. We recommend seeking out good-quality kielbasa from a meat market or butcher, as the sausage’s seasoning and smokiness has a big impact on the flavor of the dish.

Tip

Don’t use canned or jarred sauerkraut, which tends to be mushy. Opt for fresh, refrigerated sauerkraut, which has a better flavor and texture.

Ingredients
  • 1

    ounce dried porcini mushrooms

  • 2

    cups boiling water

  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter

  • 1

    large yellow onion, chopped

  • 3

    tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2

    tablespoons sweet paprika

  • 2

    teaspoons caraway seeds

  • 1

    bunch dill, stems finely chopped, leaves chopped, reserved separately

  • 2

    quarts low-sodium chicken broth or water

  • 1

    rack (about 3 pounds) pork baby back ribs, cut between the bones into 2-rib sections

  • 1

    1-pound smoked ham hock

  • 1

    pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch cubes

  • 1

    pound kielbasa sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced ½ inch thick

  • 2

    cups drained refrigerated sauerkraut (see headnote), plus ¼ cup sauerkraut brine

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Step 1

In a small bowl, stir together the mushrooms and boiling water. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Using a fork or slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board; reserve the soaking water. Roughly chop the mushrooms. Pour the soaking liquid through a mesh strainer into another small bowl. Set the mushrooms and soaking water aside.

Step 2

In a large Dutch oven over medium, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour, paprika, caraway and dill stems; cook, stirring, until the flour begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. While stirring, gradually add the porcini soaking water, then the broth and chopped mushrooms. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the ribs and ham hock, then return to a simmer. Reduce to medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the meat between the ribs meets no resistance, 1½ to 2 hours.

Step 3

Using tongs, transfer the ribs and ham hock to a large plate. Add the potatoes and kielbasa to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring, until the potatoes are just shy of tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the meat from the ribs and hock into bite-size pieces; discard the bones, fat and gristle.

Step 4

When the potatoes are almost tender, stir in the sauerkraut and shredded meat; cook, stirring, until the potatoes are fully tender, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in the sauerkraut brine and dill leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper.