13 Nov Kwaśnica – another type of Polish sauerkraut soup

The most well known Polish sauerkraut soup is Kapuśniak, but there is another Polish sauerkraut soup that arguably has an even more acquired taste – it’s called Kwaśnica. The sour one. I personally prefer it – I like the omittance of pork and that feral taste of wild mushrooms amongst all that tangy, salty sauerkraut. I gave my 11 month old daughter half a spoonful, just to try (I want to get her used to Polish tastes) and she was shouting for more – she ended up eating half a bowl of soup! My parents were so proud – despite her mixed heritage, her tastebuds are definitely Polish.

Here is how to make this rare soup. Please note, homemade sauerkraut is obviously the best and first choice (recipe coming up shortly), the next best option is the sauerkraut in a bag that you buy from a Polish shop. Use the stuff in a jar as the last resort.

Kwaśnica – Recipe

500g sauerkraut 
2lt water
50g dried wild mushrooms (boletus preferable), washed and soaked overnight 
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 parsnip, peeled and cubed
Half a celeriac, peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and white pepper to taste

Place all the vegetables and the bay leaf in the pan of water and cook for 30min.

Fry the mushrooms separately in the butter.

Add the sauerkraut to the pan with the vegetables and cook for a further 30min. Add the mushrooms and their juices to the main pan.

Cook altogether for a final 30min and season to taste.