Soups
sour winter cabbage soup
living tradition
Sauerkraut, smoked pork, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, winter cooking
Sauerkraut soup with meat, Kopūstienė
The taste of winter preservation
In Lithuanian peasant cooking, cabbage was eaten both fresh and fermented: the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia summarizes that soup was made from fresh cabbage in summer and from sauerkraut in winter. This soup is therefore not only a recipe but also a seasonal preservation logic.
Traditional sauerkraut could include salt, caraway seeds, carrots, and sometimes sour apples or cranberries. These additions help explain why the soup often has not only acidity but also gentle sweetness and spice.
Smoked meat adds smoke and fat, but fasting or lighter versions can be cooked with dried mushrooms. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, this meat-based sauerkraut soup was eaten for both breakfast and lunch in Dzūkija, southern Žemaitija, and Užnemunė until the middle of the twentieth century.
When to add the potatoes
Acidity can slow the softening of potatoes, so some cooks boil potatoes separately or add them before the sauerkraut.
If potatoes are added directly to the sour soup, they should be cut smaller and cooked longer.
Managing acidity
Very sour sauerkraut can be rinsed, but this should be done carefully so the soup does not lose its character.
Long simmering, carrots, potatoes, and a small amount of sugar all soften the sourness.
Recipe
How to make raugintų kopūstų sriuba
The key to sauerkraut soup is balancing acidity. If the cabbage is very sour, pour off some of its liquid or rinse it briefly, but do not wash away all of its flavor.
Ingredients
- 500 g sauerkraut
- 400 g smoked ribs or other smoked pork
- 4 potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 bay leaves
- Pepper and salt
- A pinch of sugar, if needed
Method
- Cover the smoked meat with water and simmer until the broth becomes fragrant.
- Add the sauerkraut, bay leaves, and pepper. Cook until the cabbage softens.
- Cook the potatoes separately or add them later to the soup, because acidity slows their softening.
- Add sauteed onion and carrot. Simmer until the flavors come together.
- Balance with salt and, if needed, a pinch of sugar.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, use dried mushrooms and more root vegetables instead of smoked meat.
