Sauerkraut Soup with Chicken
Rich and pleasantly tangy. A classic of Slavic home cooking. Sauerkraut Soup with Chicken has a deep flavor with a pleasant sour note. It keeps well and tastes even better the next day.
Updated : 13 May, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
2.4 liter
Water
350 grams
Chicken
200 grams
Sauerkraut
2
Potato
1
Carrot
2
Onions
60 grams
Tomato paste
4 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
7 grams
Parsley
1
Laurel leaf
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the necessary ingredients. Wash the potatoes and carrots thoroughly under running water using a brush or a rough sponge. You can use any chicken parts: thighs, drumsticks, or wings. If you prefer a leaner version, chicken fillet will work as well. Take the meat out of the freezer in advance.
Step 2
Use a pot made of non-reactive material for the soup. Aluminum is not suitable here. When you add the ingredients, the volume of the soup will increase, so keep that in mind when choosing the pot. Wash and dry the chicken well, then place it in the pot and cover it with cold water. It should be cold water so that all the flavor and richness of the chicken go into the broth.
Step 3
Bring the chicken to a boil over high heat. Skim off the foam that forms so the broth stays clear and does not get spoiled by flakes of coagulated foam.
Step 4
Peel and wash the onion. Place the whole onion into the boiling broth so it becomes aromatic and takes on a golden color. Cook the chicken over low heat for about 30 minutes, until done. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces. Remove the cooked chicken from the broth and place it on a plate. If the foam was not skimmed off very well, you can strain the broth. Be careful not to burn yourself. Remove the onion, it is no longer needed.
Step 5
If the sauerkraut is cut into large pieces, chop it more finely so it cooks faster. Add the cabbage to the boiling broth and increase the heat so it comes back to a boil. Once boiling, cook the cabbage over low heat until it is half done.
Step 6
Let the chicken removed from the broth cool slightly so you do not burn yourself. Separate the meat from the bones and cut it into small pieces that fit easily on a spoon, or pull it into fibers by hand.
Step 7
Peel and wash the carrot. Cut the carrot into thin strips so it cooks better during sautéing. Cut the second onion into small cubes. This is the traditional cut for soup. To keep the onion from irritating your eyes, rinse both the onion and the knife with icy water.
Step 8
Put the prepared carrot and onion into a skillet with vegetable oil. The vegetables should be sautéed gently in oil that is not too hot. This gives them a tender texture and a golden color. Sauté the vegetables over low heat without a lid, stirring from time to time. Cook until soft.
Step 9
Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and stir. The tomato paste will give the soup a nice color and a pleasant taste. Cook the vegetables for about 5 more minutes, stirring.
Step 10
Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into cubes. This shape works well for soup.
Step 11
Return the chicken to the pot. Add the prepared potatoes to the soup, stir, and bring it to a boil. It is very important to watch the soup while it cooks and not let it boil too hard. The more gently and slowly it simmers, the better it will taste. Cook the soup with the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes.
Step 12
Add the sautéed vegetables to the soup and stir. Salt the soup. Soup should always be salted near the end of cooking, but not too late, when the main ingredients have just finished cooking and can absorb the salt evenly. If you salt it too early, when the ingredients are still firm, it will take longer to cook and may become too salty because the salt will mostly remain in the liquid. Cook the soup over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Step 13
Wash and dry the parsley, then chop it finely so its flavor opens up better in the soup. Add the parsley and the bay leaf to the soup. This will make the soup more aromatic and flavorful. Stir the soup, taste it, and add more salt if needed. Simmer the soup over low heat for 5 more minutes.
Step 14
Remove the soup from the stove and let it stand covered for about 15 minutes. During this time, the soup will settle, and the spices and salt will distribute evenly and fully develop. The liquid part will also take on a pleasantly thicker consistency.
Step 15
Serve the hot soup in deep bowls. Place a spoonful of sour cream in the center and sprinkle with chopped dill and parsley. Serve rye bread, garlic buns, or cabbage pies on the side. For extra sharpness, offer mustard and horseradish. Enjoy your meal!
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