Halloween Dinner Part II: Russian Sauerkraut Soup

You could hardly wait, right?  It’s part two of Carrie and Chris’ Halloween Dinner extravaganza.  That’s right; there was too much goodness for just one post.  Today, we tackle Carrie’s Sauerkraut Soup.

I thought the soup was delicious, and it’s a great complement to Reubens.  I love that both the soup and the sandwiches have sauerkraut, but the flavor isn’t overpowering in either one.  Carrie found the original recipe in Vegetarian Times, and has adapted it to suit her tastes a bit better.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 onion diced or thinly sliced
• 8-12 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• ½ lb. green beans (Carrie used frozen)
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sauerkraut with juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil and cook onions until soft.
2. Add potatoes and green beans and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add stock and cover.
4. Reduce heat and cook over low heat for an hour.
5. Add sour cream and stir until blended.
6. Add sauerkraut and cook for another 30 minutes.
7. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
8. Serve with delicious Reuben Sandwiches.

The Verdict:

Dee-lish.  I love a potato soup of any kind, and this had just enough changes from my normal potato-and-bacon or potato-and-leek varieties.  I thought the green beans were a fabulous touch.  Between the beans and the sauerkraut, there was plenty of interesting texture and the taste was all-around win.

I do have to say that after I looked up the original recipe (so I could link to it for all of you that like that sort of thing), I was intrigued by the concept of using wine to sauté the onion.  But that’s just because I love cooking with sherry.  I’m not at all sure the soup needs another layer of flavor, but I’m fairly addicted to the smell of onions that have been sautéed in butter and then had sherry reduced with them.  You know, because I’m that way.  I wouldn’t bet against the possibility of seeing a sherry-inspired version of this recipe at a website near you in the future…