Recipe

German-Inspired New Year Sauerkraut Potato Soup

Try German-inspired sauerkraut potato soup for New Year lunch, with white beans and caraway. Includes gentle seasoning, storage tips and nutrition notes.

German-Inspired New Year Sauerkraut Potato Soup
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (150 g), diced
  • 2 medium carrots (180 g), cut into small half-moons
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 pound (450 g) waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 can (15 ounces / 425 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups (225 g) drained sauerkraut, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Drain the sauerkraut and taste a small piece. If extremely salty or sour, rinse briefly and drain again. Peel and cube the potatoes evenly so they soften together.
  2. Warm the olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens.
  3. Add garlic, caraway and paprika; stir for 30 seconds. Immediately add the potatoes, broth and bay leaf so the paprika does not burn on the base of the pot.
  4. Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook for 15–20 minutes until a knife slides easily into a potato cube. Add a little water if the liquid drops below the vegetables before they soften.
  5. Stir in the drained beans, sauerkraut and pepper. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the beans are hot and the flavors combine; avoid boiling hard enough to break up all the beans.
  6. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste before adding salt because sauerkraut may supply enough. Mash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot if you prefer slightly thicker broth.
  7. Ladle into four bowls and divide the parsley over them. Serve warm; any bread served alongside is additional to the recipe and nutrition estimate.

Tangy sauerkraut gives this warming soup a lively finish, while potato and white beans turn a bowl into a simple meat-free lunch. Caraway and a little sweet paprika add depth without overwhelming the vegetables.

This original German-inspired variation is made without sausage or cream. The potatoes cook before the acidic sauerkraut goes in, helping them soften reliably rather than staying firm in a sour broth.

Keep the potatoes tender

Add the sauerkraut after the potatoes soften. Acid can slow their cooking, so reversing the order may produce firm potatoes even after a long simmer.

Make ahead

The soup reheats well. Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers; add water when reheating if the potatoes and beans have absorbed much of the broth.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use red kidney beans?

Cooked canned beans can be substituted, but the color and flavor change. Never put raw dried beans into this short-cooking soup.

Will it be very sour?

Sauerkraut varies. Rinsing an especially sharp batch before measuring mellows the flavor, while leaving it unwashed gives more tang.

Nutrition notes

Nutrition is an approximate editorial estimate per serving, not a laboratory analysis. Brands, substitutions and portion sizes change the values. These original recipe drafts have not been kitchen-tested; use the stated doneness checks as well as timing.

Estimate includes drained canned beans, drained sauerkraut and all oil in four portions. Rinsing and product brands substantially affect sodium.

Allergens: Check broth and sauerkraut labels for celery, mustard or other allergens. Check all product labels.

Food storage and handling

Refrigerate perishable leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Keep at 40°F / 4°C or colder, use within 3–4 days and reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F / 74°C. Follow any shorter storage guidance given in the recipe.

Food-handling reference: FoodSafety.gov holiday food safety; FDA egg safety; safe cooking and reheating temperatures.

Illustrative recipe image; presentation may vary. This is not a photograph of a kitchen test.

Per serving

Nutrition facts

Serving size: One-quarter of the soup (estimated nutrition)

Calories
305
Total fat
8 g
Saturated fat
1 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
690 mg
Total carbohydrate
49 g
Dietary fiber
11 g
Total sugars
7 g
Protein
11 g

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