Sausage sauerkraut soup is full of rich, comforting flavors. Potatoes, barley, carrots, onions, and sauerkraut are simmered in bone broth and warm seasonings. Pan-fried sausage is added to make this German-inspired dish.
Sauerkraut soup is a staple family recipe at the farmhouse because we love to make homemade sauerkraut. There are so many ways to enjoy fermented cabbage! Serve it as a side, serve it with crispy potatoes, on top of a bratwurst, or in my sausage and sauerkraut skillet.
But, one of the best ways to enjoy sauerkraut is in soup!
We love soup season, but we also eat soup all year long. I’m constantly trying to get healthy bone broth in our bellies as frequently as possible. This German sauerkraut soup is often on rotation with its perfect combination of tangy sauerkraut and savory flavors. Plus, it is really simple to throw together on a busy night. It’s truly a win-win of a nourishing, quick meal.
Enjoy it paired with some crusty sourdough bread, brioche rolls, a delicious rye bread loaf, or sourdough garlic knots.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Health benefits – Sauerkraut is bursting with gut-healthy probiotics as well as vitamin C. The less it is cooked, the more probiotics will remain. You can cook it for just a few minutes or up to 20 minutes. Root vegetables are good complex carbs and full of nutrients. Bone broth is healthy for so many things – immune health, gut health, bones and joints, and more!
Easy to make – This easy sauerkraut soup recipe is a great way to mix together simple ingredients and achieve delicious flavor. The ingredients list is simple and full of pantry staples.
Amazing taste – This fermented cabbage soup will be a hit in your house, too! Savory sausage cut into small pieces, softened root vegetables, and broth come together to create a delicious sauerkraut soup! Top with slices of bacon or a dollop of sour cream for even more flavor.
Ingredients
Butter – Butter is ideal for flavor, but you can use olive oil to sauté the fresh garlic and onion.
Beef stock or broth – Beef broth gives this soup a lot of flavor, especially if it is homemade. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth for a less meaty flavor if that is all you have.
Pearl barley – For best results, check the barley for doneness. Take out a few pieces of barley to check if they’re fully softened and cooked before serving the soup.
Sauerkraut – Sauerkraut is super simple to make, but if you don’t have any made, you can use a jar of pre-made sauerkraut. There are many great brands available that have live probiotics, like Bubbies.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Modifications and Variations
Vegetarian sauerkraut soup – Switch beef stock for vegetable stock, and omit the sausage. You can add a can of white beans, if desired. Keep the rest of the ingredients the same.
Creamy soup – Replace some of the broth with heavy cream or half and half.
Polish sauerkraut soup – To make a different version instead of a German soup, replace the sausage with a type of pork – meat from pork ribs, ham hocks, or pork chops.
How to Make Sauerkraut Soup
Step 1: In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Then, adds onions and garlic to the melted butter and cook until onions are translucent.
Step 2: Dice potatoes into bite size pieces and grate carrots. Add potatoes and carrots to the pot with tomato paste, barley, caraway seeds, and chicken stock. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
Step 3: Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, cook sausages and set aside to cool. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with a bit of warm stock to add some extra sausage flavor to the soup.
Step 4: Add the sauerkraut to the soup pot and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the barley is tender. To check for doneness, take out a few pieces of barley to check if they’re fully softened and cooked before serving the soup.
Step 5: Once the sausage is cool enough to handle, slice it into small rounds and add to the soup.
Step 6: Taste to adjust for salt, then serve.
Tips
- Homemade fermented sauerkraut lends quite a bit of saltiness to this soup. Wait to add salt til the end of the recipe if it’s needed.
- Use the excess sauerkraut juice, that you strained from your sauerkraut, to kickstart other vegetable ferments, or use in homemade salad dressing. Check out my post all about fermenting vegetables.
- To preserve more of the probiotic benefits, you can add the sauerkraut closer to the end of the cooking time. Or if you want the cabbage to be more tender, cook it for 15-20 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Sauerkraut is made from cabbage that has been fermented with salt. It is bursting with gut-healthy probiotics.
Store in the refrigerator for up to five days. To freeze, allow it to chill completely in the fridge, place in an airtight container, and place in the freezer. I like to use mason jars, but be sure to leave a few inches of space at the top to accommodate for expansion as it freezes.
Yes. Sauerkraut is super simple to make, but if you don’t have any made, you can use a jar of pre-made sauerkraut. There are many great brands available that have live probiotics, like Bubbies.
Always check the ingredients. They should only include salt and cabbage. The tang should come from the lacto-fermentation process, rather than vinegar.
Sauerkraut is technically a German dish, as it originated there. However, it is popular in all Slavic countries, including Poland and Ukraine.
More Delicious Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Homemade Potato Soup
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Easy Sauerkraut Soup with Sausage
Video
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven A large soup pot will also work.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 small onions or 1 large to medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 small white potatoes, peeled and cut into small bite sized cubes
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup pearl barley
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 pound sausage, I used mild Italian sausage
- 8 ounces sauerkraut, liquid drained off
- Salt to taste, add at the end
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Then, adds onions and garlic to the melted butter and cook until onions are translucent.
- Dice potatoes into bite size pieces and grate carrots.
- Add potatoes and carrots to the pot with tomato paste, barley, caraway seeds, and beef stock. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, cook sausages and set aside to cool.
- Deglaze the bottom of the pot with a bit of warm stock to add some extra sausage flavor to the soup.
- Add the sauerkraut to the soup pot and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the barley is tender. To check for doneness, take out a few pieces of barley to check if they’re fully softened and cooked before serving the soup.
- Once the sausage is cool enough to handle, slice it into small rounds and add to the soup.
- Taste to adjust for salt, then serve.
Notes
- This soup freezes well. Allow it to chill completely in the fridge, place in an airtight container, and place in the freezer.
- Homemade fermented sauerkraut lends quite a bit of saltiness to this soup. Wait to add salt til the end of the recipe if it’s needed.
- Use the excess sauerkraut juice, that you strained from your sauerkraut, to kickstart other vegetable ferments, or use in homemade salad dressing. Check out my post all about fermenting vegetables.
- To preserve more of the probiotic benefits, you can add the sauerkraut closer to the end of the cooking time. Or if you want the cabbage to be more tender, cook it for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband and I both LOVE this soup! It’s exceptionally hearty, flavorful, and filling!
Additionally.. I do make some substitutions! I always use chicken sausage links (just cut them up) and quinoa instead of barley.
This is a staple in my home. Have been making it for years! Also have not seen another recipe quite like this.
I am not a huge sauerkraut person, but this is a favorite in my household! I use chicken sausage links (just cut up small), and have never had barley on hand, so I’ve used rice and quinoa in the past. All of these substitutions work well with this recipe. So absolutely flavorful!
Those sound delicious!
I made this tonight, it was DELICIOUSE!! One of my littles can only have fermented grains so I subbed the barley for quinoa. This was the first time I have ever used Sauerkraut, gathering supplies to ferment my own!! Thank you!!
Wonderful! Sauerkraut it one of my favorites to make. It is so simple!
This was amazing,loved the caraway seeds aroma, my boyfriend had few servings so not much leftovers heh, I actually cook sauerkraut on regular basis bc my mum always makes her own big batch every winter but we usually don’t make it into soup, more like casserole dish, usually with smoked ham or bacon or even chicken or turkey:)
That sounds delicious, too! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
I’ve made a lot of soups in my 68 years, but this is absolutely my favorite❣️My husband loves it too!
Thank you❣️
My husband and I absolutely loved this dish! I didn’t expect sauerkraut in a soup to be so delicious!
Wonderful soup! Thank you for sharing your recipe. My husband and I both loved it.
Hi, Lisa
Can you tell me where you bought your refrigerator?
Thanks
Carmen