Sauerkraut-Eintopf (sauerkraut stew)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Stew
- 500 g sauerkraut, drained, a little of the brine reserved rounded
- 400 g waxy potatoes, peeled, in 2 cm chunks rounded
- 150 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 150 g smoked bacon, diced (optional) rounded
- 30 g neutral oil, if not using bacon (optional) rounded
- 900 ml vegetable or beef broth rounded
- 2 g caraway seeds rounded
- 1 bay leaf rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly ground black pepper rounded
Method
Method
- Rinse the drained sauerkraut briefly under cold water and drain again, keeping a little of the reserved brine for adjusting seasoning at the end. This softens its sharpness before it goes in the pot.
- Render the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, if using, until crisp, about 5 minutes; otherwise heat the oil.
- Add the onion and sweat 4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the sauerkraut, potato, broth, caraway and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender and the sauerkraut has softened.
- Fish out the bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of the reserved sauerkraut brine if you want more tang.
Method in the Thermomix
Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl.
- Bacon into the dry bowl, if using. Sauté 5 min / 120°C / speed 1, measuring cup off. Add the onion. Sauté a further 4 min / 100°C / speed 1.
- Add the sauerkraut, potato, broth, caraway and bay leaf. Cook 30 min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1, simmering basket on the lid.
- Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper and reserved brine, mix 5 sec / reverse / speed 1.
Notes
- Rinsing the sauerkraut briefly before cooking is the one step worth not skipping. Straight from the jar it can dominate the whole pot; a quick rinse tones it down to tangy rather than mouth-puckering.
- Keep a little of the sauerkraut brine to adjust at the end. It is easier to add more sourness than to take it away once the stew is simmered.
- This is a rustic, forgiving stew. The exact ratio of sauerkraut to potato can flex depending on what you have; more sauerkraut gives a sharper, lighter stew, more potato a heartier one.
- It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and, like most sauerkraut dishes, is often better the next day.
Ingredient substitutions
- Smoked bacon can be diced smoked sausage, added with the sauerkraut instead of rendered first, or left out entirely with oil in its place for a vegetarian version.
- Beef broth gives a richer, more traditional result than vegetable broth.
- A spoonful of sour cream stirred through at the table is a common, non-traditional finishing touch.