Kyselica

Have you ever seen something online and though "I have to eat that"? Well that happened for me when I say a recipe on the blog "196 Flavors" for Kyselica, a Czech soup made with sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut. And I was not disappointed. Since discovering my kids do in fact like sauerkraut, but only if it's cooked, I have been trying it in lots of things. Bigos, crepes, pasta, you name it! This soup was just as much a hit as all the others.

1 lb sauerkraut
1 lb. kielbasa
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings
3 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion
2 Tbsp. flour
2 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. allspice berries
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in the bottom of a large soup pot and add the sauerkraut. Cook and stir, infrequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and keep cooking for another 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, whole kielbasa, allspice, caraway, and bay leaves and simmer over medium low heat for about 30 minutes. 

Heat the bacon drippings in a small pan and add the onion. Stir occasionally until the onion is tender. Then leave it, stirring infrequently, until bits are browned but the onion isn't caramelized. Stir in the flour and cook another 2-3 minutes.  

Remove the kielbasa and slice, return the sausage to the pan. Whisk in the onions into the soup. Then whisk the sour cream until smooth and then stir in 2 ladles of broth, one at a time, until the sour cream is smooth. Whisk the sour cream in to the broth. Heat again, gently, for at least an additional 20 minutes. 

Taste for salt and pepper and serve with crusty rye bread.