Tangy Fermented Cabbage Soup (Printable)

Tangy fermented cabbage soup with smoked meats, vegetables, and natural probiotics for digestive wellness.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 5.3 oz smoked bacon or kielbasa sausage, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 17.6 oz sauerkraut, drained and roughly chopped
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 34 fl oz low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
08 - 8.5 fl oz water

→ Spices and Seasonings

09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
13 - Salt to taste

→ Finishing Touches

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
15 - 4 tablespoons sour cream for serving, optional

# Steps:

01 - In a large pot over medium heat, sauté smoked bacon or sausage until browned and fat renders, approximately 5 minutes. For vegetarian preparation, skip this step or sauté smoked tofu in 1 tablespoon oil.
02 - Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced carrots. Cook while stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in drained sauerkraut and diced potatoes. Sauté for 3 minutes to meld flavors.
04 - Add broth, water, bay leaf, caraway seeds, black pepper, and paprika. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until potatoes are tender and flavors fully meld.
05 - Taste soup and adjust salt as needed.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each serving with fresh parsley and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your gut gets a live probiotic boost every time you eat it, which feels like self-care disguised as comfort food.
  • The smoked meat does heavy lifting flavor-wise, so the soup tastes fancy without demanding much effort from you.
02 -
  • Don't use pasteurized sauerkraut—the heat kills all those beneficial probiotics you're actually after, so read the label and grab the raw stuff from the refrigerated section.
  • The caraway seeds are non-negotiable if you want this to taste authentic; I tried skipping them once and the soup tasted like cabbage soup instead of something special.
03 -
  • If your sauerkraut tastes aggressively vinegary, rinse it lightly before adding—some batches are more intense than others.
  • Don't skip draining the sauerkraut well; excess liquid can water down your broth and dilute all those carefully built flavors.
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