Ukrainian Sauerkraut Soup (Kapustnyak) with Pork and Millet
The order of operations makes or breaks kapustnyak. The potatoes must be nearly cooked BEFORE the sauerkraut goes into the pot: in an acidic liquid their starch will not soften, and the cubes stay stubbornly firm no matter how long you boil them. That is chemistry, not kitchen superstition, and it ruins a lot of home versions.
Three pillars of the flavor
First, a rich pork broth — 500 g of meat, about a pound, in roughly 2 liters (8 cups) of water. Second, the sauerkraut, braised in butter with a few spoonfuls of that broth rather than tipped in raw; braising takes the harsh edge off the acidity. Third, the white roots: parsley root, parsnip and celery root cut into strips and sauteed with the carrot. Parsley root looks like a pale carrot and tastes like celery crossed with parsley — a Middle Eastern or Polish grocer will have it, and extra celery root plus a parsnip covers it if not.
Then there is the salo paste. Salo is cured pork fatback, the Ukrainian pantry staple; unsmoked salt pork or thick-cut fatty bacon is the closest US stand-in. Pound it in a mortar with garlic, parsley and coarse salt — the salt works as an abrasive and turns it into a fragrant emulsion rather than mince. It goes in at the end.
Lift out some of the cooked potato, mash it, and stir it back so the starch thickens the soup without flour. Serve with a piece of the boiled pork, a spoonful of smetana (full-fat sour cream) and herbs. Day two is better than day one.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 464 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Cut the pork into small pieces and simmer a broth in about 2 liters of water.
While the meat cooks, prepare the saute: cut a medium carrot, the white root, a piece of parsnip and a piece of celery root (each about the size of the carrot), and one small onion into thin strips. Saute the vegetables in a little butter.
Finely chop the second, even smaller onion. Peel three garlic cloves, dice a piece of salt pork about the size of two matchboxes, add 5 to 10 chopped sprigs of parsley and a teaspoon of coarse salt. Pound everything in a mortar into a smooth paste.
Wring out the sauerkraut a little; if it is shredded too coarsely, chop it further with a knife. Braise it in a pot with butter and a few spoonfuls of broth.
Peel and cut the potatoes, and rinse the millet. Drop the potatoes into the broth and cook them almost until done.
Only then add the braised cabbage and the millet (otherwise the potatoes will not soften in the acidic broth), season with pepper, and add more salt if needed. Cook until the millet is done.
Remove the potatoes from the pot, stir the pounded salt pork and garlic into the soup, and keep cooking. Mash the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot.
Simmer another 7 to 10 minutes and the kapustnyak is ready. Serve with a piece of boiled pork, a spoonful of sour cream, and chopped herbs in each bowl.
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