Czech Christmas Sauerkraut Soup with Smoked Meat and Sausage
Zelňačka is a classic that is hard to tire of during the holidays – and the longer it sits, the better it tastes. This recipe brings together homemade sauerkraut, smoked meat stock and piquant sausage. The result is a warming soup with a full, balanced flavour. It makes 6 servings and preparation and cooking take about 80 minutes.
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 h
Servings: 6
Energy: 442 kcal per serving
Method
01.
Put the smoked meat in a pot with 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Once it is tender, remove it and set aside. Add the sauerkraut, bay leaf, caraway seeds, allspice berries and dried mushrooms to the smoked meat stock and simmer for about 30 minutes. Then add the garlic.
02.
Meanwhile, fry the onion in the lard in a small pan until translucent, then sprinkle in the flour and stir until a roux forms. Remove from the heat and dust with sweet paprika. Pour a little cold water over the roux and blend or whisk thoroughly, then stir it into the soup.
03.
Add the sliced sausage and sliced smoked meat to the pot, top up with water as needed and cook for a further 15 minutes or so, until the sausage is tender and the flour is cooked through. Season with salt to taste if needed, but the soup is usually salty enough thanks to the meat and sausage. Serve the zelňačka with sour cream.
