Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup

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Sauerkraut, bratwurst, and potato soup is a creamy, slightly tangy soup full of veggies, potatoes, bratwurst, and sauerkraut. The recipe has deep roots in Eastern Europe, with tons of variations. German sauerkraut soup, Polish sauerkraut soup, Russian and Ukrainian versions, you name it. 

Some sauerkraut soup recipes are creamy, while others have a clear broth, but all of them are united in the use of sauerkraut and potatoes.  

When I first posted this Sauerkraut, Bratwurst, and Potato soup recipe years ago, I told the story of how I had asked some fellow bloggers to contribute to a post I was working on entitled “Soup Supper Round-Up ” on my blog.  

Another blogger had shared this soup, and I have to say I was intrigued! It is a bit of a bizarre-sounding combination to some I am sure. Now, you all know that I am a huge fan of sauerkraut, and I have had a relationship with Frank’s Kraut for a really long time.
But my cousin, Shawn, who actually made his own sauerkraut, was the first to try this soup and told me that I just had to try it! I was so grateful that I did!
 
creamy bowl of sauerkraut soup

Sauerkraut Soup With Sausage

The first time I made it was on Halloween in 2013. My inlaws always came to our house for a soup supper before they tagged along to take the kids trick-or-treating. 
 
My father-in-law always teased me about my Polish/German heritage (all in good fun) and thought this soup didn’t sound like anything he would like. Friends, he had two bowls. It was the first crockpot empty that year.
 
Polish and German sauerkraut soup is the perfect blend of creamy with just a bit of tang… fabulous! My Father in Law said I needed to re-name the soup, I wasn’t sure what that would be, so I left well enough alone.

Making Authentic Sauerkraut Soup With Bratwurst And Potatoes

Polish and German sauerkraut soup recipes tend to feature a creamy broth, which is awesome! Don’t expect the sauerkraut to overwhelm you either. Because the potatoes cut the tanginess, and the bratwurst makes the broth so savory, everything balances out nicely. 

 

Ingredients For Polish Sauerkraut Soup

  • Chicken Stock 
  • Sauerkraut – Frank’s is what I used, of course!
  • Kraut juice – drained from the sauerkraut and added to a bit of water.
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Cream

  • Potatoes
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Bratwurst – casings removed

Find the complete measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

 

How to Make Sauerkraut, Bratwurst & Potato Soup

Step One: Get all of your ingredients prepped by chopping up the veggies and removing the casings from the bratwurst before you begin. 

Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice. Add water to kraut juice to make 3 cups. In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth and kraut/water to a boil. Add carrots and potatoes, cover, and cook until veggies are desired tenderness. 

Step Two: In a skillet, chop and brown bratwurst until it gets nice and brown. Remove from pan, set aside.

ingredients prepped for sauerkraut soup

Step Three: Do not clean the pan. Add onion and celery to pan, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add sauerkraut, continue browning until sauerkraut is cooked well. Return bratwurst to kraut mixture. Add this mixture to the simmering stock. 

creating sauerkraut soup broth

Step Four: In a small saucepan, melt butter, add flour to melted butter whisking to form a roux. Slowly add milk and cream to the flour mixture. Cook on low, whisking as it thickens. Pour into the broth and let the soup simmer on low until heated through.

spoonful of sauerkraut soup with veggies

Talk about a great hearty soup! This one is perfect for those cold weather days when you just want to feel warm and cozy!

 

sauerkraut soup with potatoes and bratwurst

Love it? Pin it!

Don’t forget where you found this comforting potato soup recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go. 

 

Overhead of Polish Sauerkraut Soup - Kapusniak in a white bowl

Sauerkraut Soup, Aka “Kapusniak” Soup

This is similar to my Kapusniak recipe.  (You may also see it spelled “kapusnyak” or “kapustniak“) There are as many ways to spell it as there are to make it! This soup is a heritage soup that typically gets served around the colder months. For good reason! First, of course, any hot and hearty soup is great for chilly days. That goes without saying.

But, in days before refrigeration, the ingredients like sauerkraut didn’t fully pickle after the fall harvest until the colder months set in. So the timing worked out perfectly to use it as an ingredient then. Traditions born of necessity are typically lifesavers and when it comes to mealtime traditions, well, that’s a good thing!

Polish Noodles & Kraut - kluski kapusta kiszona on a blue plate

More Great Sauerkraut Recipes

I have oodles of sauerkraut recipes on my website! Here are a few others you will be sure to love:

 

The Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut

Love Sauerkraut? Well, here is everything you always wanted to know about Kraut! Where it comes from, how it’s made, the massive amounts of benefits that come from adding it to your diet, and of course, tons of Sauerkraut recipes in this Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut. 

 

Polish sauerkraut soup with artisanal bread slice

My youngest son will tell you that this is his most favorite soup recipe that I make! I hope that you and your family will enjoy it for years to come as we have. 

Let’s make some sauerkraut potato soup, shall we?  M. logo An Affair from the Heart

creamy bowl of sauerkraut soup
4.48 from 23 votes
Print Recipe

Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup

A creamy, slightly tangy soup full of veggies, potatoes, bratwurst and sauerkraut.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: German
Keyword: Bratwurst and Potato Soup, creamy soup, Frank's kraut, german soup, Polish soup, Sauerkraut
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 701kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups kraut juice + water to make 3 cups We LOVE Frank's!!
  • 3 potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 4-5 stalks celery diced
  • 2 cups sliced carrots
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 cups cream
  • 2 cups sauerkraut drained -- Frank's is the BEST!
  • 5 bratwursts casing removed

Instructions

  • Drain sauerkraut, reserving juice. Add water to kraut juice to make 3 cups. In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth and kraut/water to a boil. Add carrots and potatoes, cover and cook until veggies are desired tenderness.
  • In a skillet, chop and brown bratwurst until it gets nice and brown.
  • Remove from pan, set aside.
  • Do not clean pan. Add onion and celery to pan, and saute for about 5 minutes.
  • Add sauerkraut, continue browning until sauerkraut is cooked well.
  • Return bratwurst to kraut mixture.
  • Add to broth.
  • In a small saucepan, melt butter, add flour to melted butter and whisk, making a roux.
  • Slowly add milk and cream to flour mixture.
  • Cook on low whisking as it thickens.
  • Pour into broth and let soup simmer on low until heated through.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezes well, too!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 2221mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g

I originally posted this recipe on November 5, 2013. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on January 12, 2022.

Overhead of Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup in white bowl with a spoon and napkin on a black surface and text "Sauerkraut, Bratwurst and Potato Soup"

original recipe from Simply Gourmet

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15 Comments

  1. omg sound fantabulous!!! i too am polish/german with russian/native american, what a mix huh!! instead of ‘mutt’ i used to say i was ‘heinz 57’ but dont ask me where that came from, i was a kid when i started saying it, and i never knew there was such a product either, lol 😀 now i just say i am ‘abbynormal’ lol definitely going to try this and the blue cheese and cabbage!! thanks for sharing them!!

  2. I bet this soup has fabulous flavor! I’ve never heard of a soup like this before. Not only tasty, but a filling dish, too!

  3. Your Sauerkraut, bratwurst, and potato soup reminds me of one I make—a few changes which might make it more flavorful and tasty! I will be trying it out this weekend! Thanks for another great recipe! Have a great day!

  4. This is such a unique soup! I definitely want to give it a try. It makes sense that combining it would potatoes and bratwurst would be absolutely delicious, thanks for sharing.

  5. What a wonderful recipe! My heritage is German, too, and these ingredients and flavors all sound so appealing to me. Can’t wait to make a big pot of this soup for my family. Thanks for another winner!

  6. This sounds amazing, do you have any suggestions for an alternative to bratwurst? I live in Ecuador, I can get regular sausage or smoked sausage. We can’t get sauerkraut either, but I now make my own.

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